Grand Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich
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 uncovered 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 Yaroslavich
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 two brothers who wanted to go on their separate ways. He died peacefully in Kiev.Grand Prince Gostislav Yaroslavich
The third Grand Prince, Mstislav's oldest son. 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 in 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 unexpectedly, shortly after a victory against Poland.Grand Prince Nikifor Yaroslavich
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 was considered to be a talented leader and a capable general. He launched the long awaited war against Novgorod, which he carried out ruthlessly. His personal tragedy was the alleged affair between his wife and his brother, which led to the Venetian war after the loss of Halych. At the same time, he was caught in the conflict between the boyars and Prince Halstan. At the end of his rule he tried to reestablish the succession line of the Yaroslavich family, favoring his only son. He died in Kiev shortly before marching against Venice to retake Halych.Predislav Yaroslavich
Nikifor's only son. A talented military commander, but a man with a temper, similar to his uncle, Rostislav. He felt that he was robbed of the Grand Prince title after Nikifor named the Norwegian noble, Halstan as his successor. After the death of his father when Halstan refused to name him as the successor, he allied with his brother-in-laws to defeat Halstan on the battlefield triggering the civil war. He died in the battle of Djerev, as a victim of an assassin hired by his Roman brother-in-law. With him, the senior line of Vladimir has ended.
Apokavkos Komnenos
Member of the Roman royal family, who married Nikifor's second daughter. For some time he was a loyal supporter of the House of Yaroslavich. Some suspect that he was working behind the scenes to establish his own rule amidst the political chaos following Nikifor's death. He was responsible for the killing of Predislav. His plot was discovered and he had to flee to Constantinople. Soon after he tried to return to Kiev and waged a war against Sbyslav Oslyabya, the new Grand Prince. After some initial success, he was killed by an assassin. It has never become known whether his killer came from Kiev, Azaq or Constantinople.
Khotimir Kievskii
Kievan boyar who married Nikifor's youngest daughter. He was Predislav's follower and fought on his side in the battle of Djerev. After Predislav's death in the battle he tried to establish himself in power but eventually made a pact with the new Grand Prince, gaining considerable power in the Council. Later he fought against the Catholics and became one of the richest boyars. He died peacefully in Halych.
Rostislav Yaroslavich
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. Despite his short life, his impact on the history of the Rus cannot be understated. The alleged affair with Florentia made Nikifor to elect Halstan as his successor, feeling the need for immediate political help (Predislav was only a child then). Rostislav died, but Halstan's appointment eventually led to the civil war and the rise of the Azaq branch of the Yaroslavich family.
Grand 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 to counterbalance the political ambitions of Rostislav, Nikifor's brother. After some conflicts in the Court, Nikifor sent him to conquer the city of Novgorod, which he took easily and later defended against Denmark. After Nikifor's death, he became the fifth Grand Prince. Many say that he should have resigned or at least choose Predislav as his heir. However, the sometimes unjust political attacks made him determined to rule the Rus his own way. His vision was to break the political power of Kiev and move the capital to Novgorod. He took Predislav's challenge and met him on the battlefield. He died in the second day of the battle of Djerev, and according to the legend it was Predislav himself who killed him.
Tvorimir Runo
Halstan's older son, who was the governor of the Pskov fortress. He was named as the Prince by Halstan. He led the cavalry alongside his father in the civil war. He disappeared in the battle of Djerev and his body was never found. Following the battle, the Council annulled the succession of his family.
Derzhislav Cheshko
Halstan's second son. When Tvorimir became the Prince, Derzhislav was appointed as the governor of Novgorod. He helped his father to summon troops from Norway to aid Halstan in the civil war. He died in the night assault during the battle of Djerev when his Bergen troops attacked the army of Azaq. Some say that this attack was a result of poor communication, but it led to the intervention of Azaq on Predislav's side, deciding the final outcome of the battle.
Petr Yaroslavich
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, establishing the rule of the Rus on the eastern steppes. 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 Yaroslavich
Petr's son. He was young when his father died and was raised in the Kievan Court. He was a friend and supporter of Prince Halstan, and married Halstan's daughter. He worked to avoid the conflict between Predislav and Halstan. Since he was not willing to side with Halstan when he became the Grand Prince, he was taken as a hostage before the battle of Djerev. The circumstances of his death during the battle are still unclear, likely he was murdered in cold blood by Halstan or his sons.
Oleg Yaroslavich
Mstislav's third son, the governor of Kiev. Although talented, he was a quiet member of the family, satisfied with administering the capital. Many saw him as the man guarding the political legacy of Mstislav, mitigating the debates and conflicts in Kiev during Gostislav's and Nikifor's rule. He died peacefully in Kiev. The significance of his person has become obvious after his death when the royal family faced crisis after crisis, leading to the civil war.
Danislav Severskii
A noble originally from Novgorod who became the leader of the pro-Kiev faction in Smolensk. During the siege of Smolensk by Mstislav, he supported the Prince to overthrow the Novgorod-friendly council and annex Smolensk to the Rus. As a reward, he was adopted by Mstislav and appointed as the governor of Smolensk. He died in battle against the Lithuanians.Dobrozhir Severskii
The only son of Danislav. Shortly after his father's death, he went to battle against Lithuania but was ambushed and defeated. He could hardly escape, but in the following years he became an experienced commander and revenged his father. In a daring raid he killed the Grand Duke of Lithuania, but on the way back he was ambushed and died in battle.
Stroislav Kubenskii
A Kievan noble who married Dobrozhir's oldest sister. He inherited the large Severskii estates and was also appointed as the governor of Baia. As one of the richest boyars, he was a loyal follower of the Grand Prince, and his support was especially important for Nikifor. He died under Halych when the fortress was taken by the Venetians.
Yaropolk Yaroslavich
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 Yaroslavich
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. Yet, after so much success on the battlefield, he could not taste the political victory. He died peacefully in Vilnius, plotting until the end of his life to rule Kiev.
Moimir Yaroslavich
Yaropolk's second son, governor of Mensk. He helped financing Zhirovit's campaigns. He was a city politician, satisfied with his position as a governor enjoying its comforts. He had no political ambitions and was not notable as a general either. He lived a long, but politically uneventful life. He died peacefully in Mensk.
Svyatoslav Basenok
Moimir's only son, or at least the only one in the chronicles. He was an unremarkable character and a bastard. After Moimir's death, his uncle Volodislav adopted him as there was no other who could carry on the family line. He had the political and military power of the Yaropolk estates, but decided to stay away from the civil war. After the battle of Djerev, his loyalty was bought by the new Grand Prince. He was kept on a short leash from Kiev, and after his death the Yaropolk estates reverted back to the Grand Prince. Tikhomir Yaroslavich
Yaropolk's third son. He was considered as a talented commander, but died young in battle against Poland at Mensk, saving the city and probably Moimir's life. His brothers swore to revenge his death and waged a bloody, but largely unsuccessful war against Poland.
Volodislav Yaroslavich
Yaropolk's youngest son, the governor of Riga. A smart politician and talented commander who defeated the Teutons and repelled several Danish invasions. He was widely considered as the real successor of Yaropolk's legacy. Later in life he gave up most of his ambitions. He died from a wound after a battle against Denmark, shortly before the civil war. Yurii Yaroslavich, Grand Duke of Azaq
The third and youngest son of Vladimir, and 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 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. The hatred between him and the Komnenos family was a decisive factor in the fall of Acre where the Romans decided not to help him, and later it has become a political factor in the civil war following the intervention of Azaq.
Grand Duke Ostromir Yaroslavich
Yurii's older son. An unremarkable person in his early life, and withdrawn from the public ever since he survived an assassination arranged by Gostislav. While his brother, Sbyslav was fighting in the Holy Land to revenge their father, he had to defend the Duchy of Azaq from the first Mongol invasion. He was the governor of Sarkel, the border stronghold. Following the death of his brother, he became the third Grand Duke of Azaq. Shortly after that he was ambushed by the Mongols and killed in battle.
Ratimir Muromskii
A soldier in Sarkel who has shown exceptional bravery against the Mongols and was thus adopted by Ostromir. He was sent to Tbilisi to raise an army for Azaq. He tried to defend the Caucasus pass to prevent the Mongol attack on Tbilisi. He was captured in battle and executed by the Mongols.
Grand Duke Sbyslav Yaroslavich
Yurii's second son, commander of the Caucasus and Holy Land campaigns. He was 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 fought against the Mongols. He was an exceptional leader as well as military commander. He died in battle after many victories during a failed campaign to take Astrakhan from the Mongols.Grand Duke / Grand Prince Sbyslav Oslyabya
Grand Duke Sbyslav's illegitimate son, who did not know about this relationship until his father died. He was adopted by Ostromir and made successor of the Duke title. He conquered Astrakhan, and after Ostromir's death he became the fourth and last Grand Duke of Azaq. He married Grand Prince Nikifor's daughter, although he was not aware of his wife's political position until the wedding. This marriage made him a contender for the Grand Prince title after the civil war and Halstan's death. He became the sixth Grand Prince of the Rus after the involvement of the army of Azaq in the civil war. With that the branches of Mstislav and Yurii Yaroslavich were united again.
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 first battle of Halych.
Georgii Patrikeev
A local warlord who was the former governor of Tmutarakan in the east, and an ally of Yurii who married his daughter. The support of his clan has meant a lot to the rulers of Azaq. He died peacefully after taking Sarkel. |
Re: [SS 6.3 AAR] Primus Inter Pares - The Kievan Rus (Chapter 60/60)
Originally Posted by robinzx
THIS IS A TRAVESTY! I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END!!I'm sure Radzeer has an epilogue up his sleeve though.
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Also, the end had to be epic enough and that comes with sacrifice... - and it also allows some material for the epilogue. And of course praise coming from skilled writers is particularly generous. 
I can't wait for the epilogue, and of course, your next project! 
that's all there is to say, plus what everyone else has already said... well okay maybe a bit more 
, but after sitting down and spending time reading through it (I'm not going to say how long 
, but it's safe to say that for the next AAR you (there will be one!) do I will glue myself to it. 
Radzeer's Next AAR 
