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

[ReD_OcToBeR]

Loving how you're kicking the Mongol's ass.

Edit: good luck in MAARC btw

[Radzeer]

Loving how you're kicking the Mongol's ass.

Edit: good luck in MAARC btw

Thank you! There are still quite a few Mongols to handle.

The update is coming within the hour.

[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 and fighting against both the Cumans and the Catholics. He has found the Holy Grail after taking Oleshe, and established the tradition in which the Grail is kept by the Prince to guide him. At the end of his life he retired and transferred the power to his oldest 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 held power for long as a Prince. He fought against the Cumans in the east, 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 had a lot to prove. His decisions were not without controversy, but he did what he could to keep the Rus intact. He was somewhat successful with Yaropolk's sons in the west keeping at least their formal allegiance, but could not contain his other uncle, Yurii, who set up his own principality around Azaq. His rule was often compared to the rule of his father, in which comparison he did not fare well, especially about his foreign policy. He died shortly after a victory against Poland.

Grand Prince Nikifor
The fourth Grand Prince, Gostislav's first son. His marriage to a Venetian princess was supposed to build good connections to Catholics, but the alliance was short-lived. He is considered to be a talented leader and a capable general. He launched the long awaited war against Novgorod.
Rostislav
Gostislav's second son. He lived the life of the younger prince in the Court, where according to the rumor he seduced Nikifor's wife. He led the attack on Novgorod, taking Polotsk, but died shortly after that in the plague.
Prince Halstan Svendsen
Norwegian noble who married Princess Evfrosinia, Gostislav's daughter. Shortly after arriving to Kiev he was chosen by Nikifor to be his heir. After some conflict in the Court, Nikifor sent him to conquer the city of Novgorod, which he did.

Petr
Mstislav's second son, the governor of the eastern Rus territories. He was trained by his uncle Yaropolk, and he took Serdobinskaya from the Cumans. He led the royal troops the Caucasus campaign. He took Baku and sailed across the sea to fight Khwarezm at Gorgan. The riches of Baku and Gorgan made him wealthy, although he was not successful to counterbalance Yurii and his sons' rule in Azaq. He died shortly after a raid on Astrakhan.

Dmitrii
Petr's son. He was young when his father died and was raised in the Kievan Court. He is a friend and supporter of Prince Halstan.

Oleg
Mstislav's third son, the governor of Kiev. Although talented, he is a quiet member of the family, satisfied with administering Kiev and helping his brother, Gostislav in his rule.

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, and a loyal follower of the Grand Prince.

Yaropolk
The second son of Vladimir. Legendary commander, the hero of many wars, and the conqueror of Lithuania where he acquired territories for his sons. His personal tragedy was that during his life only his youngest son, Volodislav loved him. He was a loyal general and had done much for the Rus - both by fighting its enemies and by containing his sons. He died shortly after his last victory against Poland, as the most decorated general of the Rus. At his funeral, his sons finally realized what their father has done for them.

Zhirovit
Yaropolk's oldest son, the governor of Vilnius. A violent, dreaded and unpredictable character, he fought in Poland to revenge his brother's death. He hated Catholics and pagans alike, and had plans to restore the political power of the house of Yaropolk. But after so much success on the battlefield, he could not taste the political victory. He died peacefully in Vilnius.
Moimir
Yaropolk's second son, governor of Mensk - anything but a field commander. He helps financing Zhirovit's campaigns. He is a city politician, satisfied with his position at Mensk.
Tikhomir
Yaropolk's third son, former governor of Smolensk. He died young in battle against Poland at Mensk, saving the city and probably Moimir's life.
Volodislav
Yaropolk's youngest son, the governor of Riga. A talented commander who defeated the Teutons and repelled a Danish invasion. Widely considered as the real successor of Yaropolk's legacy.

Yurii
The third and youngest son of Vladimir, the first Grand Duke of Azaq, the duchy he declared independent from Kiev. It was difficult for him to be in the shadow of his two brothers. He was not satisfied with the governor position of Caffa where he was supposed to live the quiet life of a young prince, and made an alliance with the Patrikeev clan in the east. He married the clan leader's daughter, Natalia and started to build his own princedom. He fought the Cumans for the control of the Azaq region, and later attacked the Muslims in the Caucasus. He was considered by all as the main conspirator in the royal family, constantly plotting to get closer to power. After Natalia's death he decided to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The pilgrimage ended with taking Acre, but became a political failure after mutual betrayals by the Roman allies. Yurii died in the siege when Acre fell to the Fatimids.

Ostromir
Yurii's oldest son, governor of Caffa. An unremarkable person, and withdrawn from the public ever since he survived an assassination arranged by Gostislav. When Sbyslav left for the Holy Land, he had to defend the Duchy of Azaq from the first Mongol invasion.

Ratimir Muromskii
A soldier in Sarkel who has shown exceptional bravery against the Mongols and was thus adopted by Ostromir.

Sbyslav
Yurii's second son, governor of Sarkel, commander of the Caucasus and Holy Land campaigns. He is talented in both politics and war, and succeeded Yurii as the second Grand Duke of Azaq.

Milogost Fominskii
A Kievan noble who married Princess Eupraxia, Vladimir’s only daughter and thus became a member of the royal family. He was the governor of Zhytomyr. He saved Kiev from two Polish invasions, and was killed in the battle of Halych.

Georgii Patrikeev
Governor of Tmutarakan in the east, and an ally of Yurii who married his daughter. He died peacefully after taking 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 went back to Trebizond to look after his brother, Rurik. He was with Yurii in the Holy Land, and miraculously escaped after the fall of Acre.
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. He returned to Kiev to fight alongside Yaropolk once more before he put down the sword.
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.He was the chief supply officer for the Court, and the author of the Miloslavich Diary. Shortly after taking Polotsk, he disappeared again in Novgorod territory. His son found him in a prison after the fall of Novgorod.
Andrei
The son of Oleg who was trained as a soldier in the Grand Prince's druzhina. He was in Halstan's army when fighting Novgorod.

47. A Scandinavian affair

"I never thought I would see you again," said the Danish commander to Prince Halstan when the Kievan envoys arrived to the open ground between the walls of Novgorod and the camp of the besieging army. He offered a talk before the siege, hoping to take Novgorod without a fight. Halstan agreed in order to buy some time, so the two envoys met outside the city. It was winter, but the sky was clear and there was no wind. Still Andrei was cold. He recovered from the fever, but could still not stand the Kievan winters. Yet as he looked at the others, he saw that neither Halstan nor the Danish knights were bothered by the cold. It seemed as if he was the only one feeling uncomfortable.

Andrei noticed that the Danish commander had an expensive armor. He was tall and handsome, seemed fairly friendly, and his general manners were more sophisticated than what Andrei expected. In the next moment he learned why.

"Prince Oluf," said Halstan. "I wish I could say that I am pleasantly surprised."



Oluf was not sure how to interpret this, so he let Halstan's comment go. "Well, I am the leader of the campaign against Novgorod," he said.

"You don't seem to be campaigning against Novgorod at the moment."

Oluf smiled. "Of course not. But neither do you." Andrei thought that the two princes have certain things in common, especially that both seemed determined to get their way without a fight.

"When I left our ships and rode ahead, I was sure to find the banners of Novgorod flying here," continued Oluf. " I think we can see Novgorod as the common enemy. Despite the past battles, I am willing to talk about peace with Kiev once you hand over the city."

"Unfortunately, I am not authorized to discuss any peace terms with you," said Halstan coldly.

"Not authorized? You are a prince. Do you not have any authority among your Orthodox subjects?"

The men with Halstan grunted. This was offensive for the Kievans. Andrei was sure that Oluf did this on purpose. The fact that many Kievans opposed Halstan's title must have been known in Denmark too. But Halstan remained calm.

"I have enough authority for my position. But here such issues are decided by the Grand Prince and the Court."

Oluf became impatient. "Halstan, you are from our lands. We should be able to understand each other."

"I am not from your lands. Or did you forget that my father died fighting against Denmark?"

"That happened a long time ago. Denmark and Norway are allies now."

"It does not matter," said Halstan, and looked into Oluf's eyes. "My allegiance is with Kiev now. "

"You should not have followed that woman here!" Oluf was now angry. "You Norwegians are all the same. You cannot see the bigger picture!"

Andrei saw that Hastan's face turns red. The Kievan bodyguards became more alert just like the Danes. Andrei hoped that a fight will not break out, but he put his hand on his sword too.

"I may not see the bigger picture, and have not lived long in Kiev, but I have seen lesser offenses answered by the sword!"

"Which shows how civilized these people are." Oluf could hardly contain his anger. "I ask for the last time: are you willing to give up the city?"

"No."

Oluf grunted. "You always make the wrong decision, Halstan."

"I guess that concludes our conversation," said Halstan. "And I am yet to see a Danish victory against Kiev." He turned his horse and the Kievans rode away, leaving the baffled Oluf and his knights.

The war council that night was quite optimistic about the battle. The captains said that the walls of Novgorod could easily resist the five hundred men Oluf brought, even if the local population was still hostile.

"I doubt they would like to see the Danes in Novgorod," said one of the captains. "We may be a better alternative."

"That is probably true," said Halstan. "However, did you listen to what Oluf was saying?"

"Yes, and it was despicable and offensive."

"And there was a hint of information too." Halstan looked at the captains but nobody knew what he was thinking. "Remember, Oluf said 'When I left our ships and rode ahead'... This means that there will be a bigger army coming soon."

Andrei was impressed with the Prince.

"So do we still want to stay here and wait?" asked Halstan. "If the other army arrives, they will outnumber us for sure. Then we can sit here until our food runs out or the locals revolt against us."

"What about the reinforcements, my lord?" asked Andrei. Nikifor promised to send more troops that should have arrived already, and that concerned everybody.

"They will come," said Halstan confidently. "But we don't know when."

Silence fell on the war council. There was only one way out.

"We have to fight them before the second army arrives," said Halstan.



Next morning the gates were opened, and the Kievan army marched out, taking battle positions. Halstan only left a few guards in the gatehouse in case rebellion breaks out in the city and the locals try to lock them out.





Halstan knew that one advantage he had was the catapults. The Danes did not bring any siege artillery, and Halstan hoped that he could decimate their ranks before the battle. But in order to be effective, he needed accurate information on how the catapults fire. The Danish army was too far from the city towers to see anything, but Halstan thought that somebody could sneak close in the cover of the abandoned farmhouses that were outside the walls.

Andrei volunteered for the task. He and another soldier silently moved closer to the enemy army, running from building to building. Some of the farmhouses were destroyed already, while others were simply abandoned. They were still not close enough when the Kievan catapults opened fire.



The first shots missed the Danish army completely. As Andrei and the other soldier moved closer to the enemy, they saw that the Kievan shots were either too short or leaned to the right. Andrei saw some cavalry on the right, but he felt that it is futile to try to hit them. The Danish infantry was now fully deployed, presenting a much better target, and Andrei saw Prince Oluf's banner appearing too.

"Go back and tell them to aim at the siege tower, a little shorter and to the right," said Andrei to the soldier. "I will stay for a few more minutes." The soldier hurried back, while the Kievan catapults continued to miss the enemy. Andrei wanted to get closer, but he was not cautious enough. One of the Danish cavalryman noticed him, and in a minute he saw a whole company of Danish soldiers running toward the farmhouses.



It would have been suicide to stay there any longer. Andrei wanted to run back in the cover of the buildings, but the Danes were faster, cutting off his way. With a sudden thought, Andrei decided to run back across the open field, which the Danes did not expect.



As he ran, he noticed a break in the catapult fire. They must be repositioning the catapults, he thought. But there was no time for thinking. For a few minutes he felt naked as he ran toward the Kievan lines, but fortunately he was outside of the Danish archers' range, while the infantry gave up the chase. Finally he safely reached the Kievan lines.

The catapults were now firing at the siege tower. After the third or fourth shot, terrible cries were heard from the enemy lines. One of the fireballs hit Prince Oluf, immediately killing him.





The death of the Danish commander shook the enemy army. Most of the Danish knights were impetuous and in rage, and there was nobody who could hold them back. In the next moment, the whole Danish army charged, led by the heavy cavalry. Prince Halstan hardly had any time before the they reached the Kievan lines.





The cavalry charge was powerful, and many of the Kievan spearmen were killed. The first line was in confusion. If the Danish cavalry and infantry were better coordinated, this would have been the end of the battle. But there was no discipline, and as the cavalry left to round up for the next charge, the Kievans had time to reorganize their lines.





Before the Danish cavalry could charge again, their own infantry arrived blocking their way. The cavalry was now mostly useless except for chasing some Kievans who left the battle line. The fight was now a melee between the elite infantry troops.



Andrei's unit was deployed on the right. He saw how the bulk of the fight is at the center, but he could not help them until the last enemy mounted knights were killed or routed. It seemed hours, although probably not more than fifteen or twenty minutes, by the time the Danish cavalry disappeared. Then Andrei turned his company and charged the side of the Danish infantry.



At the same time, Prince Halstan led his bodyguards against the Danish left flank. The enemy routed, but only a few dozen could make it away from Novgorod. Most of the Danish army, including their commander, remained on the battlefield.





The Kievan casualties were much fewer than what Halstan expected. In addition, the reinforcements from Nikifor arrived too. Halstan could now sufficiently garrison the city and still had enough men to go out and look for the other Danish army.

Andrei was widely recognized for his bravery again, but he was not satisfied. He asked for permission to stay in Novgorod. His father was still weak, and he wanted to look after him. Oleg planned to leave the city as soon as possible, but taking the long road back to Kiev seemed too dangerous. Andrei was concerned about his father's health, but at the same time he was puzzled. It seemed to him that it was not the long time Oleg spent as a prisoner which affected his health, but rather the fact that they are fighting against Novgorod, which Oleg thought was a mistake.

It did not take long for Halstan to find the second Danish army. They tried to ambush him, but he was alerted. The Danish army was somewhat larger and fielded strong heavy infantry, but they did not have a noble general. Halstan was optimistic about the battle, even when he saw the ranks of Danish infantry marching toward his lines.





He ordered his catapults to open fire, and hoped for a similar success than at his previous battle. He almost had it. One of the shots exploded just in front of the Danish standard bearer. The Kievans cheered, but a moment later the banner appeared again. It was a near hit, killing several Danish soldiers, but not the one Halstan wanted to fall.





Once the enemy was close enough, the archers opened fire too. Unlike in previous battles, Halstan positioned his archers behind the catapults where they were more protected. Hundreds of arrows flew above the Kievan heads and came down as an iron rain on the enemy.



The Danish cavalry charged the flanks. On the right, the druzhina were able to absorb the charge and hold the line, but on the left where the mercenary crossbowmen stood, the Danes were more successful.





The bulk of the enemy heavy infantry attacked the Kievan center where Halstan deployed his spearmen expecting a cavalry attack. The line held, but the Kievan casualties grew fast. Halstan had to conclude that whoever leads the Danish army must be a veteran soldier.



The Danish commander had one more trick. While the whole Kievan line was engaged in the melee, he sent his reserves around on the left where the previous cavalry attack was more successful against the crossbowmen. The Danish heavy infantry was able to get close in the cover of the hill.



Halstan suddenly saw several Danish banners appearing on the left. As he positioned his bodyguards to attack them, he realized that he was lured into a trap. There was another Danish cavalry unit waiting for him. He decided to charge the enemy cavalry, hoping that his men will hold against the reserve infantry.



In a brutal cavalry fight, Halstan and his men were able to rout the enemy cavalry, and kill the Danish commander. Seeing how the Danish lines were in shock, Halstan ordered a general counterattack. Both his reserve cavalry and infantry charged the enemy troops. Once their center routed, it pulled the rest of the Danish army with it.







It was a heroic victory, but it did come at a cost. Seven hundred Kievans fell, which exhausted most of the reinforcements Nikifor sent. Novgorod was still in danger, so Halstan decided to return to the city. Despite of what some of his captains suggested, he decided not to execute the Danish prisoners but to ransom them back. The ransom was accepted, and Halstan was now able to reward his soldiers.

While Halstan was trying to find a solution for more reinforcements, the news came that Grand Prince Nikifor is on his way to the north. All what was left from Novgorod's power to the west of their former capital was Pskov, the great castle by Lake Peipus. Spies reported that both Knyaz Radogost and his heir, Zhidislav is at Pskov. Nikifor wanted to use this opportunity to fight them and deliver a final blow to Novgorod. He assembled a large army, and marched on Pskov.

Halstan decided to send a runner to Nikifor, delivering his battle reports against Denmark, and ask for directions on what Nikifor want him to do. Andrei offered to be the messenger. His father was well enough to travel to Pskov, and he told Halstan that Nikifor knows them both. Halstan agreed, and on a cold winter day father and son departed the city of Novgorod to find Nikifor and his army.
~

[Radzeer]

I thought I give some long term plans in case people are getting tired of this story.

I plan to stop at chapter 60 to have a nice round number. The next 4-5 chapters are played already and I have a fairly good idea how the story will go and where it will end. Depending on how fast I can write, it is likely to be wrapped up around late November (it will be a little over a year old by then). I have been working on some trial runs for the next AAR campaign, but it will not start until I finish this one.

Anyway, the next chapter still needs a few days to be ready. Andrei has not entirely made up his mind about what to do.

[Darkan]

Eagerly awaiting!
Also, have a polished rep point

[ReD_OcToBeR]

Nice victory in Novgorod against those pesky Danes. And what a fight Halstan had! winning against those odds. The screenshots were superb also. +rep

edit: ill rep when i can, apparently you've gotten too much from me haha

[Maltacus]

One of your pictures have a broken link. I guess it is supposed to be the victory report of the latest battle.

All what was left from Novgorod's power to the east of their former capital was Pskov, the great castle by Lake Peipus.

Isn't Pskov situated west/southwest of Novgorod? Or do you refer to another city than Novgorod?

Spies reported that both Knyaz Radogost and his heir, Zhidislav is at Pskov.

Not Zhidislav Veprev I hope. If so I must restart a Novgorodian campaign and crush Kiev before anything else

It will be interesting to see how it all ends since the story seems less likely to end than ever, with a new fresh generation of plotters and schemers keeping Kiev unsafe. Good update!

[Radzeer]

Eagerly awaiting!
Also, have a polished rep point

Thank you! Glad to see you back!

Nice victory in Novgorod against those pesky Danes. And what a fight Halstan had! winning against those odds. The screenshots were superb also. +rep

edit: ill rep when i can, apparently you've gotten too much from me haha

Thank you as always! I wish those Danes understood that they have no chance, but it apparently takes time. (If you noticed there is a Danish fleet on the lake by Novgorod - have no idea how they rowed up there - in it sits a fairly large army for about 20 turns. They must be fishing or something.)

One of your pictures have a broken link. I guess it is supposed to be the victory report of the latest battle.

Isn't Pskov situated west/southwest of Novgorod? Or do you refer to another city than Novgorod?

Not Zhidislav Veprev I hope. If so I must restart a Novgorodian campaign and crush Kiev before anything else

It will be interesting to see how it all ends since the story seems less likely to end than ever, with a new fresh generation of plotters and schemers keeping Kiev unsafe. Good update!

Thanks, and special kudos for finding that silly typo. It was indeed west (I corrected it in the text). About the picture, I re-uploaded it and now should work fine. I use imageshack which does this sometimes. Some of their servers occasionally go down, and if a picture is on it then it is not visible for a day or two.

Believe it or not, when I saw Zhidislav, immediately your battle jumped into my mind. I said, "oh no, this is the guy who came back for that woman, and now I'm screwed." If your Zhidislav has Kievan and French ancestors then it's the same guy.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[ReD_OcToBeR]

They got there by one of their generals recruiting the mercenary pirates on the coastline. I've done that before sometimes, trying to retreat and get away from the AI on land, hoping their ships weren't near by to sink me anyways.

[la coupe est pleine]

Ah I’m really happy as I read 7 chapters in a single shot. 
I still like your story as in the beginning. No I’m wrong, it is better, as your skills definitely increased. I can clearly see the gap between my poor drafts and your impressive dialogues.


41
Good chapter. I particularly liked the first part, when you made a nice description of the pre-battle, in the tavern… You really transformed a common battle as an interesting one. 

Brave Andrei. I see the old Andreas… . I didn’t notice the same name coincidence at first but now it is clear. Well done Radzeer.


42
Interesting Zhirovit. Back to the plots. I never thought Moimir would play any role in that story.
Ah ah…

You did a perfect first battle in the night. Well done. The pictures are beautiful, and I guess night battles are your specialty for such an eye gift.


43
Woaw, I really liked the battle of Kerak. It felt real, with a superior force falling against a well protected castle with brave defensors. Nice. Excellent pictures too, like usual.

And absolutely brilliant negotiations with the Basileus. Eh eh, he was a tough verbal opponent but the intelligent Sbyslav took the best at the end.

Let’s see if those bastard Mongols could cope with such a Kievan lord…


44
Oleg, the brave and mysterious Oleg is back. I’m really curious about learning what happened to him.

I was at first a bit disappointed to learn that Zhirovit died. What about Moimir plots now? . Are they over, or do you still plan to write about it? (Probably next chapter will tell me… ).

Then, Great battle, mostly because Andrei was there. It felt again real. And it is great, like in the good story books. You are talented my friend.

Novgorod is Rus so. It was too easy, wasn’t it? 


45
Brilliant tale.
Very immersive. You found a new way (You still succeed to find new ideas… ) to describe that important battle. Ostromir speech remembered me a famous Albanian heroe.

Well done my friend.
The Mongols are not that deadly so…


46
Azaq, or the story of tough men, fighting for raw steppes, against the weather, against thousands, against everything…
The two brothers seems good men after all, despite the bad mind of their father.

It is funny the the Golden Horde didn’t overwhelmed the Cuman before to attack you. I was surprised… 


47
Halstan is definitely a clever man, and Nikifor was probably right to elect him as the Heir. I’m still stunned to see how Novgorod had been quickly crushed, and the large troops Denmark is yearly fielding to attack the Rus.

History is repeating in the Baltic area…

Long live little Andrei. Please take care of your old father…



To conclude. It was pleasant to read it all.
Good luck for the end of that story.
You brilliantly succeeded to tell that story through the years and the generation, improving your skills, dialogues and battle reports…

Mes hommages mon cher…

[Radzeer]

They got there by one of their generals recruiting the mercenary pirates on the coastline. I've done that before sometimes, trying to retreat and get away from the AI on land, hoping their ships weren't near by to sink me anyways.

Yep, I guess you're right. They had two generals sitting in that fleet, one died and the other is 70+... I tried to lure them out, but no success.

Ah I’m really happy as I read 7 chapters in a single shot. 
I still like your story as in the beginning. No I’m wrong, it is better, as your skills definitely increased. I can clearly see the gap between my poor drafts and your impressive dialogues.


41
Good chapter. I particularly liked the first part, when you made a nice description of the pre-battle, in the tavern… You really transformed a common battle as an interesting one. 

Brave Andrei. I see the old Andreas… . I didn’t notice the same name coincidence at first but now it is clear. Well done Radzeer.


42
Interesting Zhirovit. Back to the plots. I never thought Moimir would play any role in that story.
Ah ah…

You did a perfect first battle in the night. Well done. The pictures are beautiful, and I guess night battles are your specialty for such an eye gift.


43
Woaw, I really liked the battle of Kerak. It felt real, with a superior force falling against a well protected castle with brave defensors. Nice. Excellent pictures too, like usual.

And absolutely brilliant negotiations with the Basileus. Eh eh, he was a tough verbal opponent but the intelligent Sbyslav took the best at the end.

Let’s see if those bastard Mongols could cope with such a Kievan lord…


44
Oleg, the brave and mysterious Oleg is back. I’m really curious about learning what happened to him.

I was at first a bit disappointed to learn that Zhirovit died. What about Moimir plots now? . Are they over, or do you still plan to write about it? (Probably next chapter will tell me… ).

Then, Great battle, mostly because Andrei was there. It felt again real. And it is great, like in the good story books. You are talented my friend.

Novgorod is Rus so. It was too easy, wasn’t it? 


45
Brilliant tale.
Very immersive. You found a new way (You still succeed to find new ideas… ) to describe that important battle. Ostromir speech remembered me a famous Albanian heroe.

Well done my friend.
The Mongols are not that deadly so…


46
Azaq, or the story of tough men, fighting for raw steppes, against the weather, against thousands, against everything…
The two brothers seems good men after all, despite the bad mind of their father.

It is funny the the Golden Horde didn’t overwhelmed the Cuman before to attack you. I was surprised… 


47
Halstan is definitely a clever man, and Nikifor was probably right to elect him as the Heir. I’m still stunned to see how Novgorod had been quickly crushed, and the large troops Denmark is yearly fielding to attack the Rus.

History is repeating in the Baltic area…

Long live little Andrei. Please take care of your old father…



To conclude. It was pleasant to read it all.
Good luck for the end of that story.
You brilliantly succeeded to tell that story through the years and the generation, improving your skills, dialogues and battle reports…

Mes hommages mon cher…

I'm not even sure what to say here. Your feedback was like a story of its own! I'm glad that you are back, and enjoying the story. About Zhirovit: it was a disappointment that he died. I had great plans with him. And the Mongols were not as strong as I thought they would be. Of course there is still a lot to tell. Finally, Novgorod was much easier than I expected. They have been fighting the Danes, the Cumans and the Mongols for some time, and I wanted to give them some space, but I ran out of time and had to take on them before my characters die of old age.
Thank you for your generous comments, my friend!

I start the update now, so the next chapter will be up very soon. Hope you'll like it.

[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 and fighting against both the Cumans and the Catholics. He has found the Holy Grail after taking Oleshe, and established the tradition in which the Grail is kept by the Prince to guide him. At the end of his life he retired and transferred the power to his oldest 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 held power for long as a Prince. He fought against the Cumans in the east, 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 had a lot to prove. His decisions were not without controversy, but he did what he could to keep the Rus intact. He was somewhat successful with Yaropolk's sons in the west keeping at least their formal allegiance, but could not contain his other uncle, Yurii, who set up his own principality around Azaq. His rule was often compared to the rule of his father, in which comparison he did not fare well, especially about his foreign policy. He died shortly after a victory against Poland.

Grand Prince Nikifor
The fourth Grand Prince, Gostislav's first son. His marriage to a Venetian princess was supposed to build good connections to Catholics, but the alliance was short-lived. He is considered to be a talented leader and a capable general. He launched the long awaited war against Novgorod.

Predislav
Nikifor's only son. A talented military commander, but a man with a temper, similar to his uncle, Rostislav.

Rostislav
Gostislav's second son. He lived the life of the younger prince in the Court, where according to the rumor he seduced Nikifor's wife. He led the attack on Novgorod, taking Polotsk, but died shortly after that in the plague.
Prince Halstan Svendsen
Norwegian noble who married Princess Evfrosinia, Gostislav's daughter. Shortly after arriving to Kiev he was chosen by Nikifor to be his heir. After some conflict in the Court, Nikifor sent him to conquer the city of Novgorod, which he did.

Petr
Mstislav's second son, the governor of the eastern Rus territories. He was trained by his uncle Yaropolk, and he took Serdobinskaya from the Cumans. He led the royal troops the Caucasus campaign. He took Baku and sailed across the sea to fight Khwarezm at Gorgan. The riches of Baku and Gorgan made him wealthy, although he was not successful to counterbalance Yurii and his sons' rule in Azaq. He died shortly after a raid on Astrakhan.

Dmitrii
Petr's son. He was young when his father died and was raised in the Kievan Court. He is a friend and supporter of Prince Halstan.

Oleg
Mstislav's third son, the governor of Kiev. Although talented, he is a quiet member of the family, satisfied with administering Kiev and helping his brother, Gostislav in his rule.

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, and a loyal follower of the Grand Prince.

Yaropolk
The second son of Vladimir. Legendary commander, the hero of many wars, and the conqueror of Lithuania where he acquired territories for his sons. His personal tragedy was that during his life only his youngest son, Volodislav loved him. He was a loyal general and had done much for the Rus - both by fighting its enemies and by containing his sons. He died shortly after his last victory against Poland, as the most decorated general of the Rus. At his funeral, his sons finally realized what their father has done for them.

Zhirovit
Yaropolk's oldest son, the governor of Vilnius. A violent, dreaded and unpredictable character, he fought in Poland to revenge his brother's death. He hated Catholics and pagans alike, and had plans to restore the political power of the house of Yaropolk. But after so much success on the battlefield, he could not taste the political victory. He died peacefully in Vilnius.
Moimir
Yaropolk's second son, governor of Mensk. He helped financing Zhirovit's campaigns. He was a city politician, satisfied with his position at Mensk. He lived a long, but politically uneventful life. He died peacefully in Mensk.
Tikhomir
Yaropolk's third son, former governor of Smolensk. He died young in battle against Poland at Mensk, saving the city and probably Moimir's life.
Volodislav
Yaropolk's youngest son, the governor of Riga. A talented commander who defeated the Teutons and repelled a Danish invasion. Widely considered as the real successor of Yaropolk's legacy.

Svyatoslav Basenok
He is an unremarkable character, but the rumor said that he is Moimir's bastard son, which is the only reason why Volodislav adopted him.

Yurii
The third and youngest son of Vladimir, the first Grand Duke of Azaq, the duchy he declared independent from Kiev. It was difficult for him to be in the shadow of his two brothers. He was not satisfied with the governor position of Caffa where he was supposed to live the quiet life of a young prince, and made an alliance with the Patrikeev clan in the east. He married the clan leader's daughter, Natalia and started to build his own princedom. He fought the Cumans for the control of the Azaq region, and later attacked the Muslims in the Caucasus. He was considered by all as the main conspirator in the royal family, constantly plotting to get closer to power. After Natalia's death he decided to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The pilgrimage ended with taking Acre, but became a political failure after mutual betrayals by the Roman allies. Yurii died in the siege when Acre fell to the Fatimids.

Ostromir
Yurii's oldest son, governor of Caffa. An unremarkable person, and withdrawn from the public ever since he survived an assassination arranged by Gostislav. When Sbyslav left for the Holy Land, he had to defend the Duchy of Azaq from the first Mongol invasion.

Ratimir Muromskii
A soldier in Sarkel who has shown exceptional bravery against the Mongols and was thus adopted by Ostromir.

Sbyslav
Yurii's second son, governor of Sarkel, commander of the Caucasus and Holy Land campaigns. He is talented in both politics and war, and succeeded Yurii as the second Grand Duke of Azaq.

Milogost Fominskii
A Kievan noble who married Princess Eupraxia, Vladimir’s only daughter and thus became a member of the royal family. He was the governor of Zhytomyr. He saved Kiev from two Polish invasions, and was killed in the battle of Halych.

Georgii Patrikeev
Governor of Tmutarakan in the east, and an ally of Yurii who married his daughter. He died peacefully after taking 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 went back to Trebizond to look after his brother, Rurik. He was with Yurii in the Holy Land, and miraculously escaped after the fall of Acre.
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. He returned to Kiev to fight alongside Yaropolk once more before he put down the sword.
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.He was the chief supply officer for the Court, and the author of the Miloslavich Diary. Shortly after taking Polotsk, he disappeared again in Novgorod territory. His son found him in a prison after the fall of Novgorod.
Andrei
The son of Oleg who was trained as a soldier in the Grand Prince's druzhina. He was in Halstan's army when fighting Novgorod, and later fought in the battle of Pskov. After that battle he and his father were dismissed from Kievan service by Nikifor. He is heading to Azaq.

48. Dark days in Novgorod

Grand Prince Nikifor felt the chills of the late winter wind as he stepped out of his tent. His army set camp under Pskov, the last stronghold of Novgorod in the west. Pskov was defended by Knyazhich Zhidislav, the faction heir of Novgorod. Nikifor hoped that he would find Knyaz Radogost here too, but the leader of the enemy disappeared, probably recruiting troops in the countryside. Nikifor was not sure whether he wants to assault Pskov while he has the numeric advantage, or he wants Radogost to appear so that he could fight both the Knyaz and the Knyazhich, and hopefully end this war once and for all.

Nikifor was tired of the Novgorod campaign, despite that after the initial setback it went well. He felt that every day he spends fighting with Novgorod takes him away from more important state and family matters. The Rus was large, spanning from the Baltic to the Caspian Sea, and the relative lack of reliable generals now plagued Nikifor more than ever. Most boyars in the Council compared him to his grandfather, Mstislav, and saw him as a strong ruler who can prove himself in battle just as well as in politics. But Mstislav had a much smaller realm to rule. Moreover, Nikifor knew that while nobody would revolt openly, some boyars still oppose Halstan's position, and others are concerned by the troubles in his own family.

The area where Nikifor hoped to make the most political progress was in the west. Not long after he arrived to Pskov, he learned that Moimir, Yaropolk's third son died in Mensk. That left Volodislav alone to handle his father's vast lands that spanned from Mensk to Vilnius and Riga and up to the north to Reval, the city which he took from Novgorod two years before. Nikifor was thinking about how to regain control over those lands and isolate Volodislav who did not have children, when the news arrived that he adopted a man, named Basenok to his family. This Basenok was not a particularly noteworthy character, and the rumor said that he was only adopted because he was one of Moimir's bastard sons. Moimir was never married, but was known to have at least three concubines over the years, and could easily have had illegitimate sons in Mensk.





Despite this adoption, the west was not giving Nikifor much trouble. The peace with Poland was upheld, and the new Lithuanian duke finally took Christianity. Kubenskii, who had been keeping eye on the western border for the Grand Prince, was getting very old, but finally Nikifor had a solution. His only son, Predislav has come of age. He had great military talent, but his character did not please Nikifor. It seemed that Predislav inherited a lot of temper from his Italian mother, but he also had a ruthless personality which reminded Nikifor of his late brother, Rostislav. While Rostislav could not have been the real father of Predislav, since he was too young when Predislav was born, this similarity made Nikifor uncomfortable in the light of the presumed affair between his wife and his now dead brother.



The real headache his son gave Nikifor was political. He appointed him as the governor of the Smolensk fortress, which he thought suited Predislav well. But some of the boyars argued that he should be the governor of Pereyaslav, which traditionally was the holding of the oldest son and therefore the heir. But when Nikifor chose Halstan as his heir, he broke this tradition, not appointing him to Pereyaslav but keeping the title to himself. The dilemma Nikifor was facing is that if he gives Pereyaslav to his son, he later may feel encouraged to challenge Halstan with the help of those boyars who did not like the Norwegian prince. But if he gives Pereyaslav to Halstan, it may further aggravate the Council and the boyars. The conflict between Nikifor and his brother which triggered the appointment of Halstan ended when Rostislav died unexpectedly. But now Nikifor could not take back Halstan's title, who was loyal and fought well for the Rus. The Grand Prince did not see a good way out of this situation, which is why he wanted his son to take over the western border regions, and be away from Kiev.

Nikifor found much more love in his daughters. The oldest of the three, Akulina was not considered a beauty, but she was bright and very mature compared to her age. The second daughter, Irina, showed considerable interest in politics, especially in Roman history. Akulina was in Kiev, but Irina asked her father to let her go to Constantinople. Since Nikifor hoped that the Romans would aid him in a conflict with Azaq, he agreed. He knew that Halstan's rise in Kiev was not seen favorably in Constantinople, and the last thing he needed was to upset his powerful neighbor.





"My lord," stepped closer to one of his bodyguards. "He is here."

Nikifor turned and saw Oleg waiting for the audience. He and Andrei have arrived a few days ago, but Nikifor had no time for them yet. He read Halstan's report about the battles at Novgorod which was the most important information for him, but Oleg asked for a longer audience.

The Grand Prince looked at the old man. Oleg was in a Novgorod prison for two years, and he looked very weak and sad. Nikifor remembered him serving his father as a supply officer. He did a good job under Gostislav, so Nikifor kept him in that position. There was only one thing he did not like in him. Oleg's eyes were always like as he was a keeper of some absolute truth about what is right and what is wrong, which made Nikifor uncomfortable. He liked his son much better. Andrei was a loyal soldier and a good captain. Nikifor remembered him at the battle of Smolensk against Denmark where Andrei fought bravely. According to Halstan's report, he even had more great deeds at Novgorod. He was clearly a fine captain who can rise fast in ranks to become a commander on his own.

"It is good to see you again Oleg Milaslovich," said Nikifor. "Unfortunately, state affairs and this siege kept me busy, but now I have time for you. Let's go into my tent."

Oleg bowed, and followed Nikifor into the tent. The Grand Prince sat down. "I am very happy that you have been freed from the Novgorod prison. Your service has been rewarded. And I am very proud of your son."

"Thank you, my lord," said Oleg. "I have always served the Rus with the best of my abilities. That is why I asked for this audience."

"I am listening," said Nikifor.

"My lord, I would like to ask you to reconsider this Novgorod campaign." Oleg paused as he knew the gravity of what he just said.

Nikifor was baffled. He did not expect this. Oleg was neither a member of the Council nor of noble birth, therefore he stepped over his authority. But he managed to stay calm.

"I know that I am not your advisor," continued Oleg. "But allow me to point out that this campaign offers little more than what we already had."

"What do you mean? We took all of western Novgorod, including their capital. After this battle, they will be done for!"

"And will you end the campaign then?"

"I see no reason to discuss high politics with you." Nikifor was not sure whether to be angry or amused. "But once Novgorod accepts a vassal status, I will make a ceasefire."

Oleg again had that look in his eyes, as if he was disapproving what the Grand Prince said. "But you have almost everything you wanted," he said quietly.

"Almost," echoed Nikifor. "The biggest problem of the Rus is that of division. Look at the Roman Empire! It is united and strong. It is our destiny to rule all the Rus people! During the time of my grandfather and my father we have grown strong and rich. Those lands that were independent before are now enjoying our wealth. I will finish this with Novgorod. Once they fall, the Rus will be equal to the Romans."

"But do we need to kill so many of our own?"

"Our own? I am surprised about you, Oleg Miloslavich," said Nikifor. "You have been in a Novgorod prison for two years and now you have sentiments for them?"

"I have always had sentiments for all Rus people. When I was kidnapped and my brothers were looking for me, a Novgorod merchant helped them in Trebizond. Without him, I would not be here. We are the same people."

"We will be, once they become our vassals." Nikifor was getting tired of this argument. "I know that you and your brothers have served the Rus for many years. For that, I am grateful. I am sure that I don't need to remind you that your son can thank his position to my father."

"No, of course not. And my son has repaid this opportunity many times on the battlefield."

Nikifor was just about to answer when a guard entered. "My lord, the Novgorod army arrived! They are led by Knyaz Radogost!"

"Prepare the army," ordered Nikifor, then he turned back to Oleg. "It looks like your son now has another opportunity to serve the Rus."

Oleg knew that he was dismissed. He bowed, and left the tent. This is not what we should do here, he thought, and felt not only tired but increasingly angry as well.



This was the opportunity Nikifor waited for. The combined Novgorod army was large, but the Kievans were veteran troops with several victories behind them. They felt that this is the decisive battle of the campaign, and were in good spirits.

The Novgorod army was led by Knyaz Radogost. He was a bit younger than Nikifor, and was considered a wise man, however he grew bitter over the past years. He was never seen as a good army commander, but he ruled with an iron fist, making others do the fighting.



With him was the Keeper of the Privy Seal, Dmitrii Shemyaka. A hero of the Cuman wars, he was a loyal follower of the Knyaz. But what was more important, he was the brother of the famous general assassinated by Rostislav at Polotsk. Ever since that day, Shemyaka was looking for a revenge. Although the assassination was ordered by Rostislav who died in the plague, Shemyaka held the Grand Prince responsible for such a despicable act.



Finally, leading the garrison was Knyazich Zhidislav, the heir of Novgorod. He was the Duke of Pskov, and was untested against Kiev. However, Nikifor wanted to make sure that Zhidislav does not survive the battle. Although not many knew this, but Zhidislav was the grandson of a Kievan noble who married a French woman and then sided with Novgorod after facing hostility because of his Catholic wife. Nonetheless, for Nikifor he was a traitor who could even become more dangerous as the leader of Novgorod.



Nikifor positioned his army on a hill, facing north. He was worried that the two large Novgorod armies will try to surround him, but apparently they wanted to join forces and attack that way. He offered Andrei a position among his bodyguards. Andrei did not know about the conversation between his father and the Grand Prince, so he was honored to take it.



Andrei was sitting on his horse, a little bit behind Nikifor and tried to pay attention to how the Grand Prince manages the battle. He knew that Nikifor would not go into the fight either until the outcome is certain or a major problem arises. Still he felt that waiting in the center may even be harder than standing in the front line.

A runner arrived. "My lord, Knyaz Radogost's army is almost entirely made up of mercenaries. We have seen Varangians, Franks and Prussians."

"He must have been wasting quite a lot of the Novgorod treasury to stop us," said Nikifor. "These mercenaries may be well armed, but seldom reliable."

"The garrison, on the other hand are elite troops," continued the runner.

"We should not let the two armies join," said one of the captains, a veteran commander. Andrei saw that in the distance the mercenary army waits for the garrison to catch up.



"You are right," said Nikifor. "We need to lure them to attack. Tell the catapults to open fire."

Andrei saw as the first fireballs explode among the ranks of the mercenaries. For a minute they were just standing there, but then the whole line started to advance toward the Kievans. The garrison was still behind, but they saw them approaching too.





If I were the commander, thought Andrei, I would fall back and wait for the garrison. It did not make any sense for the mercenary army to attack, unless the garrison hurries to join the fight, but they were quite slow.

"The cavalry is coming!" cried somebody.

"Ha! This is the Knyaz himself!" added Nikifor. "Very well, let them come."

Andrei saw the Novgorod banner flying as the bodyguards of the Knyaz charged. He wondered why he personally leads the attack against the fairly strong Kievan positions. Maybe he wanted to cut into the enemy lines quickly, or maybe this was the only way to motivate the mercenary army.



Soon the battle cries were audible, as the cavalry smashed into the Kievan lines. Andrei was in a good position to observe the fight, and for the first time he saw the charge from above. He remembered those times when he was standing there with a spear or a sword, hoping that his body will not be lifelessly tossed aside by the war horses. The next minute the Prussian infantry arrived, and the melee started.





"Why are they not coming?" asked Nikifor.

Andrei was not sure who he meant, but then he saw that everybody was looking at the garrison, deployed in perfect formation about two hundred paces behind the battle.

"We cannot let Zhidislav escape," said Nikifor. "If we defeat the mercenaries too quickly, he will withdraw to Pskov, and we'll have a long siege on our hands." Some of the captains nodded agreeably. "Do not commit any reserves until it is absolutely necessary."

Andrei was surprised to hear this. So it is fine enduring large losses just to draw the enemy into the battle. He would not have thought about that. Another runner arrived.

"My lord, the Frank cavalry charged on our left! They ask for reinforcements!"

"No," said Nikifor.



Now the Kievan army was engaged along the whole line. The mercenaries fought well, but the Kievans held the line. It was the fight between two equal foes.

"There he is!" said suddenly one of the bodyguards, pointing toward the center. Everybody looked that way, and Andrei saw Knyaz Radogost fighting in the middle of the melee. He might not have been a good commander, but he was a strong fighter and killed several Kievans already.



"Let's hope he stays alive for a little more," said Nikifor. Andrei was baffled again, but then he realized that if Radogost falls, the mercenaries rout and the garrison won't even engage. He felt that he started to have a grasp of the tactical aspects of a battle. He looked to the right, and saw the Kievan infantry fighting with the Prussians. The situation looked under control.

Then in the distance a quick company of riders went around the Kievan lines. "My lord," said Andrei. "They try to flank us over there!"



"That must be Shemyaka," said the veteran captain. 'I think I can recognize his banner."

"He is determined for sure," grunted Nikifor. "Send in one unit of berdiche to make sure he cannot outflank us." A runner left in a hurry. "You have a good eye, Andrei," said the Grand Prince. Andrei was proud, and saw that the veterans with Nikifor look at him with approval. A few minutes later Shemyaka's banner fell on the ground.



"They are still not coming," said Nikifor, looking at the garrison. The attack of the mercenaries started to fall apart. "Reposition the catapults and fire at them."



The catapult fire finally had the desired effect. The garrison started to advance. Andrei saw that the Knyaz is still fighting in the center, rallying the mercenaries.

"Perfect," said Nikifor. "Here they come again."

Andrei saw that the garrison cavalry was charging on the left, while the infantry pushed forward in the center. The Kievan line was still holding the ground, but the casualties seemed high. The Kievan reserves moved closer to the front line in case the enemy breaks through somewhere.



"Send in the reinforcements!" ordered Nikifor, then he turned back to his bodyguards. "Be ready."

Andrei put on his helmet. His heart started to beat faster. It was the adrenalin rush as he was going to the battle. Nikifor gave out his last orders.

"The line has to be held at any cost. Send in the archers or the catapult crew if comes down to that. I will come from the right."

Now everybody was ready. This is it, thought Andrei. He took a final look at the center, where the Novgorod veterans were fighting with the Kievans. He tried to find the Knyaz, but he did not see him.



"My lord," said one of the bodyguards. "There is the banner!"

On the right, they saw Zhidislav and his bodyguards coming fast. He had the same idea as Shemyaka earlier. Andrei realized that this was a clever move, as the Kievan reinforcements were concentrated in the center and on the left where the Frank charge caused many casualties.

The next moment, Nikifor and his bodyguards were galloping toward Zhidislav. The Grand Prince made them ride in a circle. Andrei first did not understand this, but then he saw that it gives time for Zhidislav to charge the Kievan infantry. Now the Novgorod cavalry was pinned down, and made itself an easier target. How many had to die for this, Andrei asked himself. It seemed to be the successful tactic, but it was a costly one.

Then they smashed into the enemy.



Andrei had to realize that it is more difficult to fight on a horse. He tried to hit one of the enemy soldiers, but missed. Than another attacked him with a spear and wounded his horse. Andrei stroke at the spear which broke into two. The next moment somebody stabbed the enemy rider from behind. It was Nikifor.

"Don't spare them, Andrei!" yelled the Grand Prince.

Andrei turned his horse and attacked the enemy nearest to him. He was behind him and the Novgorod rider did not notice him until it was too late. He made a desperate effort to avoid Andrei's sword, but he could not escape. Andrei stabbed him and he fell off his horse. It took Andrei a moment to realize who it was.



Once Zhidislav fell, the enemy army routed. Although more than three hundred were able to escape, none could get back to Pskov. The last Novgorod stronghold in the west has fallen.





The Kievan army marched into the city. After combing the battlefield and rounding up the prisoners, Nikifor learned that both Radogost and Shemyaka were alive, together with a thousand prisoners. He sent for Oleg, and ordered Radogost to be brought to him. Andrei and the other captains were there too.

Radogost was wounded, but he kept his pride. Even in chains he stood straight and determined. Andrei felt that he would not bow to Nikifor or anybody else.

"Well, Radogost," started Nikifor, "This is the opportunity to finish this war. The Rus should be united, and you know it as well as I do."

"And on what terms do you offer this?" asked the Knyaz.

"You can accept to be a Kievan vassal. In that case, I offer you my help against the Cumans and the Mongols in the east. I may even grant autonomy in your own affairs."

"What is the alternative?" asked Radogost.

Nikifor was surprised to hear this. "What do you mean? There is no alternative for you. If you do not accept these terms, the war will continue until I take all what's left of Novgorod."

"Novgorod has been independent for many years," protested the Knyaz.

"So was Smolensk and Ryazan. But not anymore. And before my great grandfather's time, Novgorod was part of the Rus."

"What about Azaq?"

Nikifor got mad. "Azaq is not independent! I don't care what they call themselves there, but their independence is a mere leash held in Kiev!" Andrei felt that the conversation does not go well. He was not fascinated by the prospect of fighting in the northern wilderness over some frozen land.

"Azaq is the example why the unity in the form you offer would fail," said the Knyaz. "You can have a strong hold over the center, but the limbs will go on their own ways."

"It remains to be seen." Nikifor had no patience left. "So does that mean that you refuse to be a Kievan vassal?"

"This is something our Council would have to decide."

"That is not going to happen. You are the Knyaz, which means that you should be able to make decisions by yourself."

Radogost did not say anything.

"Very well," said Nikifor. "Take him away."

When Radogost was taken back to the dungeon, Nikifor looked at the others.

"What an insolent bastard! He knows he has no alternative, and still plays the man of power." He turned to Oleg. "Now you can see it by yourself. It is not me who wants the war to continue."

"With all due respect, my lord," said Oleg, "You can still end the campaign. All what's left of Novgorod is a frozen wasteland, poor and weak. Why would you need that?"

"It is the principle, Oleg Miloslavich!" Nikifor was not in the mood for rational arguments. "Exactly because they have only frozen wastelands why they should take the terms."

"What would you do in his place, my lord?"

Nikifor was slightly offended by the question. "I am not in his place. It is clear that he refused the terms, so the war will continue."

"And what happens to him?" asked Oleg.

"He is finished. I have no use of him. Maybe I should give an example of how futile it is to resist the Kievan rule."

Oleg was terrified. It meant only one thing.

"You cannot execute him! What about the soldiers?"

Nikifor was now yelling. "I can execute whoever I want! And if not for your past services and the bravery of your son, you would be the first!"

There was a cold silence in the room. Nikifor regained his self-control and looked at the men. He saw emotions of surprise, fear, and approval. Only Oleg had again that look in his eyes.

"I simply ask you, my lord..." continued Oleg, but he could not finish the sentence.

"I am done with you, Oleg Miloslavich!" Nikifor looked at Andrei. "What about you?"

Andre felt terrible. This was the worst nightmare possible. He though he did what was the best for the Rus, for the Grand Prince and for his family. Now, in a second his whole career was shaken. He looked at his father.

"So?" asked Nikifor impatiently.

"With all due respect, my lord," he said finally, "My father has done a lot for our realm. I had only small contributions as a soldier, but he spent most of his life in service of you and your father. His advice is honest."

"Are you on his side?"

"He is my father, my lord."

'And I am your Grand Prince!"

Andrei did not respond. Nobody else dared to talk.

"Everybody out!" shouted Nikifor.

Next day the prisoners were executed.



Andrei realized that his career in Kiev has ended. His father offended the Grand Prince in public, and he disobeyed him, therefore both were lucky to keep their heads. Fortunately for them, Nikifor was not looking for more blood, and they were simply dismissed. Oleg decided to retire to his farm at Pereyaslav he kept throughout the years. It was the same farm where he was brought up by the soldier who saved him and his brothers when they were children. Although he did not say, he also wanted to be close to Alexios and Rurik, who were both buried in the Pereyaslav monastery where they grew up.

Andrei did not want to be a farmer, and there was only one place for him to fight for the Rus. On a spring day, he said farewell to his father and headed south to Azaq.
~

[Scottish King]

Excellent update! I hope everything goes well for Andrei and Oleg.

[Maltacus]

The Kievan horse is sneezing so much that the Novgorodian rider crumbles in his saddle. That should come as no surprise if you look at the barding with the yellow cross at the neck. The Swedish cross on blue background - Kiev has imported Swedish horse barding! This malpractise must cease! Typical of national Swedish armies to fight in Kievan lands without sufficient clothing... Utterly unreliable...



Also, notice that it is Novgorod that is using the Kievan symbols on their shields (rider to the left) . The Rus are a people divided, as the faction info text says...

Outside Kiev itself, trouble is stirring...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Grand Prince's Emmissary: What is the meaning of this!? Where are all you archers, crossbowmen and javelineers going?

Druzhina Captain: This is the UMT, the United Missile Troops, the union of all the Rus missile troops. We are here because we have HAD ENOUGH! We are being used as arrow fodder and distractions for enemy heavy cavalry. This is intolerable! We march on the Grand Prince himself and we will turn him into a Princely Pincushion (Princecushion?) if he does not change his policy right now. Behind me marches hundreds of all sorts of missile troops, from junior druzhina to peasant archers.





Grand Prince's Emmissary: Surely the situation is not that dire? I'm sure we can work something out.

Druzhina Captain: Are you trying to insult me! Have you any idea how we have suffered. We, who have such poor melee skills are being brutally trampled in the most appaling manner, or have to wear down specialized melee troops with shields and higher melee attack than the number of disobedient nobles in Kiev (and that's a lot!).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In chapter 8 we had to fire up in the air at a stone wall, unprotected from its towers, just for the show. Do you think we are siege weapons?



In chapter 9 we were left to die alone in a fort in the middle of nowhere. Is this supposed to inspire all other mercenaries to take up arms for Kiev? This is not "300"!



In chapter 13 we were forced to do this humiliating step dance. Unworthy!



And then what happened? Of course, we were trampled by cavalry.



Quote from chapter 14:

When they reached the Kievan lines, Yaropolk’s infantry militias had the almost impossible task to stop them. Without spearmen, the Kievans were in a great disadvantage.

I say! What nutcase fights Lithuania without spearmen? Those guys have the highest melee attack in the universe of fast cavalry!



In chapter 18 we were once again run down by Lithuanians.



In chapter 19 we were once again ordered to fire at stone walls, but now with fire arrows! Stone does not burn, my good sir! And we can't hit a thing with those. Were someone trying to achieve some sort of dramatic effect or something?



In chapter 23 we had to engage the Polish kings guard unsupported.



And in chapter 36... what is this?!



Chapter 38, we're used as some kind of shock infantry. Do you see a two-handed axe in my hands? Do you!?



Post 336 presented us with this horrifying information

Radzeer:

I do in fact use archers and crossbowmen to absorb charges. They are not very expensive, and I have this (maybe wrong) perception that this deployment was fairly common at that times.

Chapter 44. How much damage did you expect us to do through that tiny hole? Not nearly as much as the towers did to us I am sure!



In chapter 46 we had absorb a charge of MONGOL cavalry while the spearmen just stod still to our left, as seen here:



The Scandinavian affair in chapter 47 was a bloody affair for us.

Grand Prince's Emmissary: Have you ever considered the possibility of this being done because Kiev lacked sufficient spears at the time, was overwhelmed or surprised or the enemy just managed to outsmart us?

Druzhina Captain: Absolutely not. I am 100 % sure the Kievan nobles do this with the sole and explicit purpose of tormenting us. Beware, cavalry snobs of Kiev!

Grand Prince's Emmissary: You will never reach Kiev in time. This AAR will end before you do that!

Druzhina Captain: We shall see...

[Radzeer]

Excellent update! I hope everything goes well for Andrei and Oleg.

Thank you! Andrei will now have a new chapter in his life, and will be the central figure for the rest of the story. I have most of the plot figured out, at least in a draft form. Game-wise I am about 2-3 turns away from the point where I stop the story.

[Radzeer]

And now a special response to my friend, Maltacus.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Grand Prince: What is that ruckus outside?

Random boyar: There is some mob out there, waving UMT flags and shouting slogans.

Grand Prince: I hope it's not another pro-Novgorod rally. I had enough of those.

Random boyar: No, my lord, they seem to be soldiers.

Grand Prince: Soldiers? I hope it's not some revolution or something. I cannot raise the wages until the war is over and Novgorod pays for it. Wait! You said soldiers. Is it the Palace Guard?

Random boyar: No, we still cannot train Palace Guard for about 80 years or so. [Muttering] Damn two turns per year...

Grand Prince: All right, who are these clowns then?

Random boyar: They appear to be the United Missile Troops.

Grand Prince: Thank god! For a second I thought they are the Judean People's Front. Anyhow, a union does not seem too good either. I don't want to end up in a social welfare state. Or socialism for that matter. What's their problem?

Random boyar: Apparently, they are not completely satisfied with the pre-arranged battle deployment. They say there are too many of them killed in the process.

Grand Prince: During the deployment?

Random boyar: No, sir. During the battle.

Grand Prince: Well, I can't do anything about that. Soldiers are killed in the battle, and that should not be a surprise to anybody here. I might ask the enemy to stop charging or shooting at us, but frankly, I'm not very optimistic whether they would agree.

Random boyar: They say that they are excessively used in the front line to absorb charges and spare infantry units.

Grand Prince: Is that a standard practice?

Random boyar: That's what they say. But our generals simply follow the textbook of battle protocol by our chief strategist, Andreas Radzeerevich.

Grand Prince: It's the first time I hear about this.

Random boyar: The textbook?

Grand Prince: Don't make me cut your beard off!

Random boyar: I'm sorry my lord. Maybe the others who wanted to complain died.

Grand Prince: Not a bad solution. If I had a Palace Guard... after all, we may need to talk with them. Collect their demands and I'll see what I can do. In fact, summon that Radzeerevich, and let him respond. I have better things to do. But before you give them the answer, I want to see it.

Random boyar: Yes, my lord. [Goes away]

[Time passes during which the Grand Prince plots against Azaq, the boyars exploit the peasants, and the UMT organizes an "occupy Kiev" flash mob. Due to the lack of social media nobody else occupies anything.]

Grand Prince: So is it ready?

Random boyar: Yes, my lord. Radzeerevich says it's a masterpiece.

Grand Prince: We'll see about that.

Complaint #1 Sieges. It is standard practice to use missile troops to attack the defenders on the walls, since arrows can fly high enough, while javelins and spears not. (I cannot take responsibility for field commanders positioning their troops too close to the walls.) Fire arrows create a dramatic effect in which the enemy is usually terrified and soils their pants. Complaints of stench after battles indicate that this was a proper assumption.

Complaint #2 Dancing. Development of social skills was a compulsory part of training during which the troops were supposed to learn the ways of civilized engagement. It was also a subsidized program to elevate the social status of soldiers. The program material may have been confusing regarding the use of dance under battle conditions.

Complaint #3 Battle engagement. Lithuania was a scripting mistake of the intelligence unit. They were not supposed to have strong cavalry, as they hardly came out of the bronze age. The Polish and Teutonic armies were known to have heavy cavalry, but they were not supposed to charge until the missile units exchanged fire in a civilized, Western manner, and our archers could fall back after that. The Danes were not playing by the textbook, and deliberately avoided spear infantry. Complaints about the Mongols are misplaced and should be filed to the Grand Duke of Azaq.

Complaint #4 The textbook. Battle tactics are developed according to the usefulness of various troops. I suggest that if somebody is not satisfied with his place in the battle deployment that person should try to work harder, find other professions or educate himself. Opportunities are available in other branches of the armed forces as well as in agriculture, trade and law enforcement.

Grand Prince: I'm not very impressed. Is this guy our chief strategist? Who appointed him?

Random boyar: I am not sure, but likely it was the influence of one of those three brothers.

Grand Prince: Them again! Nepotism! I don't like that. He is clearly not the right person for the job. Are there any other textbooks we could use?

Random boyar: The palace library just acquired the first edition of the Maltacusovskii Guide to Field Battles, that may be a good book to start.

Grand Prince: Maltacusovskii? Sounds like somebody from Novgorod.

Random boyar: No, he is Varangian. He did work for some Zhidislav who was of Novgorod, but mostly as a chronicler. I believe we can trust him.

Grand Prince: Very well. Deliver this response from Radzeerevich to the UMT. Maybe they go away. If they give you any trouble, just tell them that we will change the battle textbook for next year. There is not much we can do for the next few battles I'm afraid. And I am not approving any unionization in the army. If they don't like it, they are free to sign up for the Hungry Freeman.

[la coupe est pleine]

A scandinavian affair. Indeed...
The job seems done now with Novgorod. You definitely crushed their last forces.

I can imagine a big twist with Azaq becoming the main Rus power, and winning against the central power, with the help of the last Yaropolk sons.

And keep an eye upon the Mongols, please...

[Cloud.]

Great AAR! You've got some amazing pictures, did you edit them at all? 'Cause they're amazing!

[Radzeer]

A scandinavian affair. Indeed...
The job seems done now with Novgorod. You definitely crushed their last forces.

I can imagine a big twist with Azaq becoming the main Rus power, and winning against the central power, with the help of the last Yaropolk sons.

And keep an eye upon the Mongols, please...

Thank you my friend. Yes, Novgorod is mostly gone, which is why the story now moves to the strongest enemy I have... We'll see if Azaq woul come out of this as the main Rus power...

Great AAR! You've got some amazing pictures, did you edit them at all? 'Cause they're amazing!

Thanks, and welcome! I do spend quite some time with the pictures, probably too much occasionally which makes the updates come too slow... I do edit them extensively with Photoshop, not that I would be a great technical expert of that.

The update is written, but I have a few other things to do first. Will upload it later tonight (in a few hours, not like the other times when I have it 30 minutes after the note ).

[Anatorax]

Hi, I have noticed that the graphics seems to be really good. Are you using any mods for it? My SS6.4 battlefield doesn't look that good at all despite highest settings.