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

[Tyrael.]

Terrific AAR! A pleasure to read (y)

[Radzeer]

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.

Thanks! I do not use any mods, plain 6.3. And actually, I do not even have the highest settings. I have to tone down the grass, and when it comes to a big siege battle or a multi-army battle, I have to adjust the texture as well. Generally I would say that the level and contrast settings make the most change for the final picture compared to the screenshot.

Here is an example for the difference.

Terrific AAR! A pleasure to read (y)

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it. Hope you'll like the next parts too.

And now, update time.

[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.

49. The man from Tbilisi

When he arrived to Azaq, Andrei could not help but to be amazed how much the city has changed. He and his family traveled through Azaq after his father and uncles were reunited. Then Andrei was a child, but remembered the city as pale and poor compared to Trebizond or even to the smaller cities of the Roman Empire. Now, a generation later, Azaq was a busy and obviously rich city, connecting the far east trade routes through the Caucasus to Kiev, especially since the eastern steppes were invaded by the Mongols.

Andrei stayed in Azaq for the summer. He did not know anybody there, but the garrison commander soon realized that he is a veteran soldier. Nobody asked where he came from but his experience was acknowledged, and by the end of the summer he was promoted to company commander. During this time he became familiar with the Duchy of Azaq and the war against the Mongols. He learned that Yurii Yaroslavich is considered almost as a saint, his firstborn son, Ostromir has become a formidable general after a life spent withdrawn from public, and Grand Duke Sbyslav, the hero of the campaigns in the Caucasus and the Holy Land is holding the eastern border against the Mongols.



The news which galvanized Azaq the most was that the Fatimids have been destroyed when the Romans conquered their last African territories. Andrei first did not understand why, but later he learned that Yurii was killed by the Fatimids, and their demise seemed as a just punishment to everybody. That summer and the following fall was as beautiful in Azaq as it could be, despite the war against the Horde.

It was almost winter when bad news came from the east.



Diplomats reported that Astrakhan has fallen to the Mongols. With that the Cumans were now gone, and the Mongols gained an important city from which they could directly launch attacks against Sarkel, the easternmost stronghold of Azaq. Ostromir was in charge of defending Sarkel, which he has done with success earlier, but most of the army was with Sbyslav, patrolling the eastern border. Orders were given to summon troops in Azaq and in Tbilisi as reinforcements. The previous years have shown that the Mongols are active during the winter, so there was no time to wait for the next campaign season. Not long after the first snow fell, Andrei and more than a thousand other soldiers left for Sarkel.



The march across the steppes was long and took a toll on everybody. It was cold, and the frozen land offered little comforts. After a hundred miles, there were no more farms and villages. The herds left for southern pastures for the winter, and the landscape was deserted. As the army got closer to Sarkel, Andrei saw destroyed villages and farms, charred remnants of the Mongol raids in the previous years. This was really the frontier, inhabited only by soldiers looking for their enemies.

Andrei felt that fighting here would be very different from fighting in Novgorod. In the north, there were villages and farm and trade posts, and even in the wilderness one would not have been lost completely. This land was a frozen desert, dominated by castles that were separated by hundreds of miles of empty plains under the endless skies. Morale sank, as many of the new recruits seemingly realized who the enemy was, and spread rumors about the Mongols who were still terrifying despite their recent defeats. Finally, after enduring the cold, the wind and the pain for weeks, Andrei saw the silhouette of Sarkel against the winter sky.



There was not much time to settle in Sarkel. The Pecheneg scouts reported two Mongol armies coming from the north. Sbyslav was too far in the east and could not intercept them. The garrison of Sarkel was now large enough with the reinforcements from Azaq, but Ostromir hoped additional troops from Tbilisi. But the only person arriving from the Caucasus was a runner. His name was Oslyabya. He was younger than Andrei, and did not look like a runner to him, especially that the runners were mostly Pechenegs and other nomads. Oslyabya he was more like an Armenian, likely from a minor noble family. He must have held a rank somewhere too, because his manners were not that of a simple soldier.

The news from Tbilisi were not good. Ratimir Muromskii has almost met his doom when he and his bodyguards were ambushed by a large Mongol army just north of the Caucasus. Muromskii was severely wounded, and while he was able to cross the mountains to Tbilisi, he was not in a state to lead an army to help. And even then, his first task should be to clear the road to Sarkel by fighting that Mongol army which tried to ambush him. That is unless the Mongols cross the Caucasus and besiege Tbilisi first.





Ostromir did not like this. It meant that the Mongol armies are on the move along the whole eastern border. Apart from the two armies coming to besiege Sarkel from the north, there were additional troops in Astrakhan to fight Sbyslav, and now this other army blocking the road to the Caucasus. If Tbilisi fell, that would mean the end of Azaq's rule in the Caucasus as well as the end of the profitable trade. Ostromir's previous strategy was to direct the Mongol attacks at Sarkel, because the fortress was strong enough while Sbyslav defeats the smaller field armies. Nobody expected the Mongols to appear at the Caucasus. This was an obvious consequence of the fall of Astrakhan which held the Horde back for years.

A few weeks later the first Mongol army arrived. Their numbers were not too large, and they were not the elite troops like those Ostromir fought before. But similarly to the previous years, the Mongol commanders did not coordinate the attack. Instead of waiting for the second army, the enemy general decided to assault as soon as his troops were ready.



First Andrei did not understand why Ostromir left only a small contingent at the outer walls, but then one of the bodyguards explained to him that it worked well in previous sieges. Andrei and his unit was in reserve, so he did not have much to do apart from trying to see from the inner castle what is going on out there. He heard the drums and battle cries of the enemy as they approached the walls, then saw the ladders and the Mongol infantry. He did not see the details of the fight, but a few minutes later a large commotion at the gate indicated that the enemy broke through.





It was crucial to hold off the Mongol infantry on the walls, giving time for the spearmen at the gate to defeat the enemy horsemen. The light infantry on the walls fought well, but when their banner disappeared, Ostromir had to send in the druzhina. The veteran soldiers were able to rout the Mongol heavy infantry, and slowly gained the upper hand in the fight at the gate.



Not long after that the Mongol cavalry was also defeated. The attackers never got close enough to cause serious concerns. Ostromir had lost about four hundred men, including some fresh reinforcements from Azaq, but the garrison still seemed strong enough for the next siege.



When Andrei went to the gate to see what happened, he was shocked by the piles of dead men and horses. He has never been in a siege defense battle before, and the intensity of the fight in such a small area was not like anything he has seen before.



As he was standing there, he saw the Mongol prisoners that were taken away. He was surprised that there were only a few of them, which was very different from the battles against Denmark and Novgorod. There when the general was killed, the troops routed or surrendered. Here, most of them fought until the end.

"They don't have long to live," said somebody behind Andrei. He turned and saw Oslyabya, the young messenger from Tbilisi. "They will be executed. Most of them are not worth the ransom, and even if they were, that is the only way to deal with them."

Andrei was a bit surprised. Clearly, the fighting here was different from what he was accustomed to.

"Welcome to the frontiers of Azaq!" said Oslyabya, seeing Andrei's confusion. "You are from Kiev, right?"

"I am," said Andrei. "Would that make me any less of a soldier?" He was annoyed.

"Of course not." Oslyabya saw that Andrei was baffled by his question. "Now you think how much people here hate Kiev," he added. "Some do, yes, but most people don't. After all, Kiev has not done any wrong to us. There was one member of the family of the Grand Prince, some Petr, who disputed lands Azaq claimed too, and some say the assassination attempt against Ostromir was arranged in Kiev, but these are old stories."

Andrei shrugged. He was not interested in politics ever since the end of his service for Nikifor. He wondered what would Oslyabya say if he knew he was in the escort of the Grand Prince.

"You are different from the Kievan soldiers we see around here," continued Oslyabya.

"I was born in the south. My mother was Armenian."

"Now I understand," said Oslyabya and smiled. "My mother is Armenian too."

"I wondered about that when I first saw you," said Andrei. "Who are you really?" Now he was curious about this man.

"Just a soldier like you," said Oslyabya. "Fighting for what I believe in." And he walked away.

The second Mongol army that arrived was larger than the first and outnumbered the garrison as well. They surrounded the castle, and waited. For some time, Andrei thought that they want to starve the garrison, and the siege will last for months. But the Mongol commander had a different plan. After two weeks of not doing anything, he wanted to surprise the defenders with an early morning attack, under the cover of the fog.



Fortunately for Ostromir, the sentries were able to alert the garrison and the defenders were quickly deployed. This time, Andrei found himself in the middle of the action, as he was ordered to lead the Tatar lancers guarding the main gate. He did not understand this, as he did not speak their tribal language and they had their own chiefs. He could not think of anything else but a test whether he can fight and motivate his men, most of whom he never met before. He decided to answer the challenge.



Since Ostromir had lost most of his light infantry during the previous siege, he deployed the druzhina on the walls. It was a cold morning and the soldiers were silent, waiting for the enemy to come. Soon squeaking noises indicated that the battle ram crept closer outside. The Mongols were quiet, hoping to surprise the defenders. But as the ram was at the gate, the towers opened fire, boiling oil was poured and a volley decimated the attackers. The battle has started.



Andrei heard the horrifying cries from outside as the boiling oil burned the men alive. Then the sound of fighting was heard from above as the siege towers and ladders reached the walls too. But Andrei had no time to keep his eye on the walls. The gate was shaking as the ram crew was not deterred by the boiling oil and arrows. Andrei grabbed his sword ad looked at the Tatars. He wanted to say something, but had to settle for looking determined and showing no fear. In the next moment the gate was breached and the enemy poured in.



The charge was powerful but after a few seconds of confusion, Andrei saw that the Tatars hold the line. He had never fought in such close quarters. There was not much room for skilled swordfighting, so it was more of the brute strength of the two lines that determined the outcome of the fight. The Tatar lancers were skilled with their weapon, but the Mongol infantry was better armed and surprisingly disciplined. Andrei did not expect this.

The fight was even for some time with the attackers not being able to gain much ground. Andrei stroke down three enemy soldiers already, and saw that his men keep their eyes on him. He turned back to encourage them when something pushed him on the ground. He rolled and looked up only to see a horse stepping over him. In the next moment the rider fell on the ground, dead but Andrei did not see from what. Finally, somebody grabbed Andrei's arm pulling him back toward the Tatar line. It was one of his men, likely saving his life as now the Mongol cavalry was charging through the gates.



Andrei felt that they cannot hold the gate much longer. Many of his men were killed, and he was at the end of his strength. But then he heard the sound of hooves from behind. Ostromir and his bodyguards arrived, charging into the Mongol cavalry just at the moment when the attackers broke through the Tatar line.





The charge pushed the Mongols back toward the gate. Additional infantry troops arrived, and the tide has turned. Andrei was surprised how well Ostromir fought despite his old age. He rallied the remaining Tatars, but it still took a long time to defeat the attackers, who fought almost to the last man.



About a hundred Mongols were able to escape. Many of them were horse archers who stayed outside the gate, and a few foot soldiers, disappearing in the fog to die alone in the frozen desert. But most of the Mongols remained on the battlefield.







Andrei had minor wounds. He considered himself lucky to survive the battle, his first one against the Horde. The fight at the gate exhausted him, not only his body but also his mind. Now he saw the enemy from close, he realized how determined and ruthless they are, and he knew that there will be many other fights to come.

Next day he met Oslyabya at the gate when he was the commanding officer there. Oslyabya was about to leave Sarkel. He stopped his horse and greeted Andrei.

"Another dangerous ride, I presume," said Andrei.

Oslyabya smiled. "Yes. I have a message for the Grand Duke."

"Have you met him before?"

"Once in Tbilisi. He came back from the Holy Land. He is a remarkable man. I never knew his father, but many say he is just like him: strong, clever and determined. With men like him, Azaq will not fail."

Andrei liked the young man's optimism. "I wish you good luck," he said. "You remind me of my uncle. He was a good soldier and a famous rider. Once he rode from Pereyaslav to Oleshe with a message when that was still the frontier and we fought the Cumans."

"The enemy may change, but the deeds remain the same." Oslyabya turned his horse. "I say farewell, but I think we'll going to meet again."

Andrei nodded, and watched as the horse and its rider disappear in the distance.
~

[Cloud.]

Wow...excellent update, absolutely stunning pictures.
Those were some good battles you fought, I'm very curious who Oslyabya is

[Ganbarenippon]

A great update, and on my birthday too! A nice present! It's nice to see the development of Azaq as a distinct nation, with a growing identity, rather than just a mini-Kiev. It is beginning to take on a feeling of another country. Awesome stuff!

[Scottish King]

I agree with those above. Its great how u have portrayed the battles and politics in your story! Keep up the good work!

[Radzeer]

Wow...excellent update, absolutely stunning pictures.
Those were some good battles you fought, I'm very curious who Oslyabya is

Thank you! And I can see some more interesting battles on the horizon...
Oslyabya will return, but let's keep his identity a mystery for the moment.

A great update, and on my birthday too! A nice present! It's nice to see the development of Azaq as a distinct nation, with a growing identity, rather than just a mini-Kiev. It is beginning to take on a feeling of another country. Awesome stuff!

You are most welcome, my friend, and of course Azaq would not be around without you. I'm glad you see the difference between them and Kiev, it is in fact intended to be a different place. And more about them will come soon.

I agree with those above. Its great how u have portrayed the battles and politics in your story! Keep up the good work!

Thank you, and I really appreciate your continuous support! I'm happy to see that the politics are working in the plot, without those it would be just another boring siege against the Mongols...

[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, which he carries out ruthlessly.

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.

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. He is the governor of Sarkel, the border stronghold.

Ratimir Muromskii
A soldier in Sarkel who has shown exceptional bravery against the Mongols and was thus adopted by Ostromir and sent to Tbilisi to raise an army for Azaq.

Sbyslav
Yurii's second son, 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. After revenging his father's death against the Fatimids, he returned to Azaq and fights against the Mongols.

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 went to Azaq and enlisted in Ostromir's army.

50. The fall of Baku

The man looked at the Duke, his brother and the captains, and started to talk.

"I think the problems started when Lord Petr died in Astrakhan, and the Grand Prince did not appoint a new governor to Baku. The garrison was far from Kiev, and allotments did not come regularly. The troops were partly Rus, older veterans coming with Lord Petr but mostly local Turk mercenaries. The commander was Captain Putislav, a seasoned soldier who served under Lord Petr before. He had difficulties to control the mercenaries though, especially since there was not much to do in Baku. Finally, to avoid an open conflict between his Rus and Turk troops, he suggested to raid Gorgan across the Caspian Sea.

Gorgan used to belong to Khwarezm. Lord Petr raided it once which yielded great treasures. Then the Mongols took the city, but its garrison was weak because the Mongol forces were either in the north fighting with the Cumans and Novgorod or in the south fighting with the Romans. Putislav took some six hundred soldiers, both Rus and Turks and sailed across the sea to besiege Gorgan where hardly a hundred Mongols were stationed.



Captain Putislav was a good men who understood his soldiers. He wanted to make sure that the casualties would be minimal, and planned to use his catapults and Turkish archers. I was with him, and I know that it was not his intention to send in the Turks to spare the Rus soldiers. It's just that the archers were Turks. And Putislav was with them all the time.



Once the walls were breached by the catapults, we moved in. The Mongols put up some fight on the main street, but were quickly pushed back. They fell back to the main square, but none was spared. We have not even lost a soul.









The battle was short and easy. Yet, once our soldiers searched the town, we realized that there was not much to take. The Mongols stripped most of the treasures already, and the city was barren. Captain Putislav could not prevent the destruction which came from anger and frustration, and many were killed that day.



We left the city and headed home. On the way back, Captain Putislav's ship sank and all on board were lost. When we arrived back to Baku, we were demoralized and disappointed. Soon rumors started that the Turkish mercenaries were betrayed, and that the massacre was orchestrated by the Rus troops, especially that most of the people killed were Muslims. The new garrison commander decided to organize another raid to remedy the situation. The target was again familiar: Astrakhan.

Unlike Gorgan, this raid was not eagerly awaited. There were many who remembered how Lord Petr's attack on Astrakhan and how his army had to flee from there. Moreover, Astrakhan was now in the war zone, and many of us expected veteran Mongol troops in the area. Others asked if Gorgan had no loot why would Astrakhan, another recently conquered city have any? The new commander wanted to take a joint Rus-Turk army again, but the mercenaries said that he wants them killed instead. They were supported by many in Baku, which had a large Turkish population not sympathetic with the Rus soldiers. In the end, the mercenaries stayed in Baku, and the army left for Astrakhan consisted mostly Rus troops.

When we arrived, we could not believe our luck.



Instead of a strong Mongol garrison, we found that we outnumber the enemy, even if they had strong heavy infantry units and their commander was an experienced general, the newly appointed duke of Astrakhan.



I remember that the skies were dark when our army stood in front of the walls of Astrakhan. Some of us saw this as a bad sign, but most of the soldiers were ready for battle. The catapults opened fire, and it did not take long to breach the walls.





As we started to march toward the breach, the rain came down. We never stopped, as we felt that we can take on anything. I think we all were at the brink after the long service at Baku and the lack of fight and loot at Gorgan. We knew that Astrakhan was taken once already, so it seemed possible to do it again. The rain had washed away all our concerns, and sadly our sober minds too.



When we arrived at the breach, the Mongols were waiting for us. These were not the militia troops we have seen in Gorgan, but elite heavy infantry who never gave up any ground. It took three or four men to kill each of them, and our casualties grew fast. Not even our druzhina could handle them. Then the Mongol general came. Our boyar cavalry fought them well, but these devils were fanatic soldiers, capable of enduring many blows. The ground was littered with the dead, and we did not have any more men to send to battle.



Finally, with a stroke of luck, we were able to surround the Mongol general and kill him.





Less than a hundred of us were left, but we felt that victory is at hand. The enemy soldiers disappeared after their general was cut down, and we started to march toward the center of the city. Then suddenly, arrows were flying everywhere, and our men fell one after another. Among the first to die was our commander.



We tried to hide and ran into the alleys, trying to get away from there. We could not see the enemies, and soon lost each other. I was hiding in the maze of the city streets for about an hour or two, after which I ended up in the main square. Luckily, I was behind a fence so the Mongols could not see me. I saw how they brought the bodies of our fallen soldiers to the square and robbed them of their weapons and other belongings.





Later I found a building where a few survivors were held. They were not guarded much as the Mongols did not expect any of us still alive in the city and they had lost many of their own too. That night I killed the lone guard and was able to free them. we left that godforsaken city, found a boat and sailed back to Baku. This was a disaster, and we knew it. We only hoped to get back safely, and stay there with no more adventures. These two raids yielded nothing apart from the death of many good men. But as we arrived back we found a strange banner flying above the city.





While we have been away, the Turks revolted and transferred the city back to Khwarezm. There was nothing we could do. The local population was armed, and while we were allowed to flee, the shame stayed with us. Our ways eventually parted, and I don't know what happened to the others, but I came here to offer my services." The man bowed and waited.

Sbyslav nodded. "You may go now. You are not responsible for all this catastrophe. Take some rest and then report to the officers."

When the soldier left, Sbyslav turned to his brother. He was not completely unhappy.

"The question is now what we should do about this situation. Baku has been a thorn in our side for long." Andrei saw that Sbyslav is not surprised as if he expected this to happen. He came back to Sarkel a few days ago to talk to his brother and left his army at the border.

"I doubt a Khwarezmian neighbor is any better than Kiev," said finally Ostromir.

"Of course not, but I don't think Khwarezm will bother us. They are weak. I wish there was a way to instruct Muromskii to besiege Baku. We could not take it from Kiev, but taking it from Khwarezm is a different matter." The he sighed. "But because of that Mongol army in the Caucasus we cannot leave the pass and Tbilisi undefended."

Ostromir seeming felt uncomfortable. "What if the Mongols attack Baku? Or the Romans?"

" I do not like the Romans, as you all know, but they seem peaceful toward us. If they take Baku there is not much we can do, and I would certainly not want to provoke them. I think they want us to be a buffer against the Mongols. I am sure Nikifor and his father before him tried to convince them to attack us. Why else would we be here knowing that no Grand Duke had any love for the Romans?"

Andrei never thought about this, but it made sense. He was really impressed with Sbyslav's skills to see the big picture. No wonder he got to be the Grand Duke after Yurii.

"Now if the Mongols attack Baku that is bad news for us," continued Sbyslav. "There is one thing I don't quite understand. Last time we had reports, Astrakhan was full of troops. Now this man says that when they got there, only a handful of Mongols were on garrison duty. It means that the main Mongol army is on the move, but we don't know where."

"The north is quiet," said Ostromir. "They either went south, possibly against Tbilisi or Baku, or linger at the border."

"Tbilisi is safe, as Muromskii has enough men even against two Mongol armies, and Baku is not our problem at the moment. Therefore we need to prepare if they want to attack us here."

"What do you suggest then?" asked Ostromir. Andrei noticed that in his brother's presence Ostromir became quite passive.

"I will go back to my army at the border. But we need to think long term. It is clear that the strategic key to the region is Astrakhan. We have to take it, and then hold it against any attacks." Sbyslav saw that Ostromir is surprised, just as many of the captains. "Brother, we cannot fight the Mongols here. It is too easy to bypass Sarkel across the plains and raid Azaq itself. I am surprised that it has not happened yet. Astrakhan would be a much better place to defend our father's legacy."

Andrei thought about the destroyed farms, and knew that Sbyslav was right.

"So this is what we will do," said Sbyslav. "I will fight the Mongols at the border. But I need you to summon all the men you can, and follow me with reinforcements. Once the Mongols in the area are defeated, we besiege Astrakhan. If we are successful, the enemy armies in our territory would then be isolated and eventually defeated. And we won't let anybody pass Astrakhan again."

This was a daring plan, but Andrei felt that there were too many ifs. If the Mongols are at the border, if Muromskii can defend Tbilisi, if the north is really quiet, and most importantly if there aren't additional Mongol armies around Astrakhan... It was a gamble in which everything had to work with no room for errors. But Sbyslav had defeated the Mongols in open battle before, so nobody opposed what he said.

Yet, Andrei had a bad feeling about this.
~

[Scottish King]

Great chapter! When mongols are on the loose no one is safe!

[Ganbarenippon]

A risky gamble from Sbyslav! But one that could pay off big time! Quick request, if possible, any chance of a map? It would be a particular help for those of us without Medieval II to get a fix on some of the less famous places such as Gorgon. Stella update as always!

[Radzeer]

Great chapter! When mongols are on the loose no one is safe!

Thank you, and you are quite right: no one is safe. Which is how it should be with those guys.

A risky gamble from Sbyslav! But one that could pay off big time! Quick request, if possible, any chance of a map? It would be a particular help for those of us without Medieval II to get a fix on some of the less famous places such as Gorgon. Stella update as always!

We'll see how it pays off... Actually, I had Astrakhan in my mind for some time. I wanted some epic battles, and I knew the Mongols would come after it. But when I took it from the Cumans several turns before, I got kicked out. Then this expedition was a nighmare (the last pic tells it all: the lone Mongol rider killed my catapult crew! ). Maybe it will be three times the charm!

Actually, I wanted to post a map, so thank you for reminding me!


As you can see below, this is where the story stands now. Most of the Mongol attacks were at Sarkel - they simply walked around Astrakhan while they were besieging it. Now they have it, so we'll see what they plan to do. For those of you less familiar with this map, there is only one mountain pass how you can get from Sarkel to Tbilisi. Likely there will be some action there soon... There is a coastal route from Astrakhan to Baku but the AI never used it. The Mongols were quite aggressive against Khwarezm, but seem to have stopped in the south, blocked by that rebel region which has a gazillion stacks of rebel armies. I was expecting attacks on Baku (which is why I took it), but none came. Now the Mongols push the Cumans to the north, and pin down much of Novgorod's forces too (which I think was why I did not see much Novgorod resistance).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

^ The map is here ^

[Thokran]

It's been awhile since I've had time to catch up, but I must say that this is impressive work! I love how seamless the transition between one generation and the next seemed in the midst of all these war fronts. I cheer for Andrei as I did for Alexios, Rurik, and Oleg. I'm also interested to see how the Yaroslavich dynasty holds up with Halfstan as Prince, and Nikifor at odds with his son. I look forward to seeing what's next for Kiev!

[Maltacus]

I see that the Most Holy Order of Khwarezmian Crusader Knights have gained an important stronghold while the garrison has turned to Lithuania for protection. Poor Kiev...

Stainless Steel 6.3, what a mess it did with some things...

Congratulations on the active mongols by the way, they look fun. I have yet to see them gain anything noteworthy in my campaigns. The more I read of this story, the less does it appear to have a logical ending anytime soon with all things going on.

[ReD_OcToBeR]

wow the pictures in the last update are superb and a defeat?!. That map looks frightening.

[Radzeer]

It's been awhile since I've had time to catch up, but I must say that this is impressive work! I love how seamless the transition between one generation and the next seemed in the midst of all these war fronts. I cheer for Andrei as I did for Alexios, Rurik, and Oleg. I'm also interested to see how the Yaroslavich dynasty holds up with Halfstan as Prince, and Nikifor at odds with his son. I look forward to seeing what's next for Kiev!

Thank you! The struggle in Kiev is expected to intensify (that part of the story is not yet over). There are still a few twists you will hopefully enjoy!

I see that the Most Holy Order of Khwarezmian Crusader Knights have gained an important stronghold while the garrison has turned to Lithuania for protection. Poor Kiev...

Stainless Steel 6.3, what a mess it did with some things...

Congratulations on the active mongols by the way, they look fun. I have yet to see them gain anything noteworthy in my campaigns. The more I read of this story, the less does it appear to have a logical ending anytime soon with all things going on.

Ok, now you are officially P.K.E.: the Person with the Keenest Eye. Even I did not catch that. I had this suspicion that something was wrong with Khwarezm, but the color matched, so I never figured it out. And our Lithuanian Kievans! For a minute I was even tempted to rewrite the story. Maybe it was triggered by the fact that before the Baku revolt, Khwarezm had no regions left. There must have been a family member or somebody lingering around. This may have messed up the banner, I don't know. But it is strange for sure.

About the Mongols: I was actually expecting them to do more. Astrakhan was held by the Cumans too long which mostly derailed the Mongols to the north where they got sucked into the fight with Novgorod. So the AI part of the campaign did not go as I thought it would for the story. There are still a few stacks of Mongols, and the next updates will have enough of them, but I thought they would have a much bigger chance pushing me back, which would have been great for the story. For example I left Serdobinskaya almost undefended in the past 20 turns as a bait, but the horde does not want to come.

Anyhow, the end is near! Not sure how logical it will be, but 60 it is!

wow the pictures in the last update are superb and a defeat?!. That map looks frightening.

Thank you, but I'm afraid the map is more frightening than the real situation. Had the Cumans been defeated sooner, now I would face a much stronger horde, especially after crippling Novgorod. I don't know if Skantarios sent over some Cumans from his campaign, but they hold their ground. Also, if you liked the defeat, well... there may some more on the horizon...

I also wanted to note that this AAR has passed a one year mark a few days ago. I can't believe I'm writing this story for over a year by now. But I want to thank all of the readers for their comments and support, which is very important to keep the motivation going. Hope you enjoyed the last year, and will like the rest of the story too! Anyway, the next update is up 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, which he carries out ruthlessly.

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.

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. He is the governor of Sarkel, the border stronghold.

Ratimir Muromskii
A soldier in Sarkel who has shown exceptional bravery against the Mongols and was thus adopted by Ostromir and sent to Tbilisi to raise an army for Azaq. He was captured in battle and executed by the Mongols.

Sbyslav
Yurii's second son, 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. After revenging his father's death against the Fatimids, he returned to Azaq and fights against the Mongols.

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 went to Azaq and enlisted in Ostromir's army.

51. Grim tidings



The Mongol army heading toward the mountain pass leading to Tbilisi seemed as an endless column of riders. The morning fog hid some of them, but what Oslyabya saw was enough to made him worry. He was on his way to Sarkel to report that Muromskii's army is ready to descend from the Caucasus and join the offensive against Astrakhan. But this Mongol army was blocking the way and had to be defeated first. Oslyabya decided to return to Muromskii and report what he saw.

Muromskii was confident about his new army and his own ability to fight the Mongols. He has not met them on the open battlefield, but knew how to make use of the terrain. Not even the facts that the enemy outnumbered him, that his troops were green and that the Mongol general was a veteran commander shook his confidence. He decided to deploy his army on the high ground and wait for the Mongols to come.





Muromskii had several companies of local horse archers, and he hoped that they could counter the Mongol riders. He positioned them in front of his army on both flanks. These horse archers were the first to see the enemy approaching.



Not much later the first Mongol banners appeared on the hillside.



Muromskii signaled fire and the Mongol cavalry charged into hundreds of arrows. Muromskii saw the hits, the sputtering blood, and some riders falling on the ground, but most of them pressed forward. Their armor was thick and their horses were fast. Muromskii started to have a bad feeling about this.



The Mongol cavalry scattered most of Muromskii's light infantry, especially on the left flank. The enemy infantry has also arrived, exploiting the confusion. It was a masterfully executed attack, Murimskii realized. Originally he wanted to wait longer, but now he had to send in his Armenian heavy cavalry to ease the pressure.





The Armenians were able to defeat the Mongol infantry on the left, but there was not enough of them to relieve the whole front line. The melee was the most brutal in the center, around the trebuchets that could hardly fire any rounds before the enemy arrived, and now their crew was fighting with the Mongol infantry. Muromskii decided to charge the Mongol center after he saw the enemy general's banner there. His charge took Tsagadai by surprise, who lost many of his bodyguards. Tsagadai tried to escape through the line of archers, chased by Muromskii's men, but he did not get far. More than one bow turned toward him, and a moment later he fell on the ground pierced by several arrows.





The fall of the Mongol general did not mean the end of the fight. The melee continued until both sides were completely exhausted. The Mongol attack failed, but the carnage was unimaginable. Of every five soldiers only one remained standing in both armies. The pass to Tbilisi was held, but Muromskii's army melted away.





Oslyabya felt that it is dangerous to linger at the pass, and urged Muromskii to withdraw to Tbilisi. But Muromskii decided to send for reinforcements, and stay at the pass which he did not want to give up. He felt that with the defeat of the Mongols, the area was relatively safe. Therefore it came as a shock to him that another Mongol army was approaching fast. They outnumbered him five to one, and now there was nowhere to escape.



Muromskii called for Oslyabya before the battle. He and his last two bodyguards waited for the enemy, while the remaining Kievan infantry took defensive position around the trebuchets.



"You have to get across the enemy lines and ride to Sarkel," said Muromskii. "I won't see the end of the day, and Lord Ostromir should have the word of the Mongol attack here."

Oslyabya saw that the young commander is determined. He knew that Muromskii's family was killed by the Mongols, and he is ready to join them.

"Maybe it's not too late to ride back to Tbilisi," said Oslyabya.

"Not too late for me. But I will not abandon my men who followed me here and bear the consequences of my decision to stay. Our infantry and our wounded would never make it across the pass in time."

Oslyabya knew that Muromskii was right. It turned to be a grim day, he thought bitterly.

"Will you be able to pass through?" asked Muromskii.

"Probably yes. I will look for some Mongol clothes and armor. I am half-Armenian and would not stick out too much."

A scout arrived. "They are here!" he said. "They are led by a captain named Irindhuk."

"Looks like they ran out of real generals," said Muromskii with a wry face. Oslyabya sighed. Irindhuk was no general, but he was known about his savagery and cruelty. He was a mad dog on the loose, a fanatic and bloodthirsty warrior.

Muromskii turned back to Oslyabya. "May God protect you. Leave as soon as you can."

Oslyabya left them, confused and angry. I did not have come to this. So many lives wasted. But by the time he could leave, the Mongol army was already marching up the road. Oslyabya knew that he has to wait for them to pass before he could ride south, leaving the battle behind. He watched the Mongol infantry and cavalry crawling up the path toward the decimated but defiant soldiers of Azaq.





Once the Mongols were close enough, they immediately attacked. The outcome of the battle was never in question. Muromskii and his men, including the local mercenaries, fought bravely, but were quickly overwhelmed. Yet, they wanted the Mongols to pay a price for their triumph.





Finally, Oslyabya saw the Kievan banner falling on the ground. The Mongol light cavalry was already rounding up the remaining survivors. Muromskii's red surcoat was clearly visible on the ground among several fallen Mongol soldiers. Yet, the battle was lost in less than an hour.





Oslyabya now had the chance to get away. But somehow his heart did not let him leave yet. He wondered around the Mongol camp looking for survivors. There were only a few, strongly guarded. Then when darkness came, they were tortured and killed. Oslyabya knew that this was inevitable, as not a single Mongol prisoner was allowed to live since the war has started. But hearing the painful cries of those who were once proud sons of Tbilisi broke his heart. When the last man was led to the circle, Oslyabya saw that it was Muromskii himself. He survived the battle, just to die without honor by the hands of those who were hardly better than animals. War is hell, thought Oslyabya, and revenge filled his cold heart.



Once the bloody act was over, the Mongol camp became silent, as if the soldiers finally got exhausted enough from the battle and its terrible aftermath. The loot has been divided, the drinking was over, there was no one else to kill, and the triumphant army was resting under the blanket of the dark. Oslyabya waited until the end of the night when sleep is the deepest. He approached Irindhuk's tent. There was only one guard, half asleep in the front. Oslyabya sneaked around, and cut an opening in the back canvas. He stepped in and saw Irindhuk sleeping on the floor. Oslyabya knelt down besides the sleeping man and pointed his knife to his throat. Suddenly Irindhuk woke up, but it was too late for him. Oslyabya saw in his eyes that the Mongol realized that he will die. This gave him the divine feeling of revenge. He quickly kneeled on Irindhuk's chest and pushed the knife into his throat. Blood ran on Oslyabya's hand and Irindhuk tried to make some noise but it was only some muffled gurgle.

Then he died.



A few minutes later Oslyabya was on his way to Sarkel. Irindhuk's blood was still warm on his hand.
~

[Xoxoman]

Those Mongols are terrible..!

[la coupe est pleine]

Woaw.

To begin with, thank you so much for updating the list of characters. It helps a lot to come back in the story.


Chapter 49.
Nice to see again the little Andrei, that worth his name. . Definitely, the Mongols are never letting Ostromir have a rest...
Bastards, he is an old man and deserve it...

Chapter 50.
50 is important.
You had the best pictures ever with the rain in the dark sky.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I really liked also the story of the lost soldiers.

The tragedy chapter. But not for Sbyslav apparently.

Chapter 51.
Great, you succeeded to make us feel like being in that mountain pass, waiting for the Mongol hordes. I liked the ambiance.
And well done for Oslyabya. He is from then on a rich and friendly character.


Bravi brava bravo.
Are you going to show us the final clash with Kiev?

[Ganbarenippon]

Great update! I thought the battlefield was spectacular for that one. Sometimes the game map really is the star, and not just the units! At least now we know what Oslyabya is destined to become, but where did that other army come from?!

P.S. 200 posts, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather have it go!

[doddydad]

Please please please make the last update about the Judeans peoples... i mean United Missile Troops killing Nikofor
PS. Brilliant AAR