The New Jerusalem: Moskva 1337

jwolf: Ivan is simply a poor judge of character in many cases. He is going to be hard to manipulate, however, simply because he is so headstrong and unpredictable. If Lidiia tries to push too much the reaction is likely to be a violent one. Hope isn't completely gone for Anastasia, but that really isn't saying much. As for Ivan I, believe it or not that story about his moneybag is historically (or at least apocryphally!) accurate. There aren't too many real historical events in this AAR so I try to sneak them in from time to time.

stnylan: Lidiia's first love has always been gold, which explains her actions. For her this was an elegant solution: eliminate one enemy, torment another and make a nice profit! Of course there is always hope for Anastasia to escape or be rescued, but one has to wonder just how much. In many ways Lidiia has reached the insane villain "death is to good for you!" stage. She had to suffer and now it's time to repay it. As for Ivan, more intrigues await.

J. Passepartout: The problem is Lidiia tends to hire those thugs rather than oppose them. Maybe Semyon could bring in some mercenaries of his own? I always love to share money-bags stories, of course.

Stuyvesant: Toruntay fully expects to win her over given enough time. Why not, he's never failed before! I think you're right, though, he's probably picked the wrong woman this time. This is Anastasia's nightmares given flesh: a lecherous man who is also a follower of the False Prophet. It really couldn't get much worse for her. At least he's honorable. It's not out of the question that he might come to sympathize with her plight. At the same time, he isn't going to like hearing "no" over and over. The question is if he has a breaking point. He could always get another divorce, after all.

Lidiia does have some formidable enemies in Rogneda and now Maria. If anyone has a chance at getting to the truth it's those two, and Fedosia is going to play some sort of role too in all liklihood. Ivan's favoritism toward Lidiia could prove to be quite fickle. In many ways the Grand Duke's loyalties are based on "what have you done for me lately." He probably wouldn't hesitate to turn on someone who he percieves as failing him.

Estonianzulu: For Anastasia to act on her own she needs to somehow escape her current captivity: no small detail! If she had a chance at revenge it would be swift and violent. The problem is Anastasia doesn't actually know Lidiia is responsible for her current plight and she has to get out of that first. She's resourceful and vengeful, but the odds might be too great.

GuyB: I still haven't decided. I was thinking five, but it all depends. That's not much of an answer, is it?

coz1: I have to say my readers have been great. Excellent comments, putting up with my long absences, what more could I ask? All I can do in return is make the story as good as possible!

The Golden Horde has collapsed. It turned out to be a case of the house being rotten and one hard kick on the door knocking it all down. Years of revolts weakened them and when Moscow and Novgorod both attacked at once they went out with a whimper. The "gathering of the lands" is probably close at hand now. The only problem is Novgorod is now extremely powerful, too. A showdown with our traditional rival for the "coat" is probably inevitable.

I don't think Ivan would hesitate to eliminate Lidiia if she is no longer useful to him. His approach to people tends to be cruel pragmatism: just look at his marriages! Lidiia needs to tread carefully, not something she's known for.

More Anastasia in the next update!

A few days into the 1356th year since the birth of Christ Moscow slept beneath a blanket of white. The snow had begun to fall shortly before Christmas and the harsh chill that followed insured it would cover the land for some time to come. Moscow fell into a slumber.

It was a well earned respite. A summer of plague and religious upheaval had left the common people drained both physically and spiritually. The dead of winter had swept these troubles away, leaving everyone to wait for the day they could begin anew. Only the rulers of Moscow continued on as ever, scheming and plotting.

No rest for the wicked.

Ivan II, the Grand Duke, was more frustrated by the winter than most. Even with the Golden Horde defeated there were numerous enemies he dreamed of confronting: the Pagans in Lithuania, the minor Princes of Russia who refused to bow to his control and now even former ally Novgorod. The merchants had grown in power equal to Moscow following the defeat of the Tartars and the two lands now existed in uncomfortable equality.

The Dragonslayer wanted to fight, but found himself trapped in Moscow, facing internal issues rather than external foes.

"It is my experience the heresy is like a serpent. Cut at the body and it simply regrows. Smash the head, it will die." Metropolitan Gerasim addressed the Ruler of Moscow. The Holy Man had come to plead for mercy toward the Doomspeakers, a cult that had sprung up in Moscow in the wake of the Black Death.

"They should all die. If men were brought to me guilty of treason I would not be selective in my wrath against them. These Doomspeakers are traitors to the one true faith. Or isn't that the case?" Ivan reclined in his seat, folding his hands.

"Most of these people have been mislead in their ignorance, my Lord. These troubled times can cause anyone to fall out of proper faith." Gerasim's face twitched beneath a heavy gray beard.

"You know more about matters of faith than I. You may proceed, but if this error remains it is on your head." Gerasim bowed deeply.

"I thank you for your wisdom." The Metropolitan took his leave, feeling somewhat pleased with his actions for the first time in months. If he could lead people back to the truth it would atone for some of his past lies.

For now he was full of hope.

Meanwhile Ivan was surprised by Fedosia, the Devil Child who had grown to be a beautiful woman. Plans had been in motion to send her to Novgorod to marry a noble there, but her heart had other intentions.

Now her mind had given her the key to seeing them through.

"I have important news for you, my Lord. I know who committed the murder of Iriniia." Ivan's eyes went wide at the mention of his deceased wife, who had died by his will.

"She died of sickness, child. You are mistaken." The Grand Duke's voice was smooth, but he felt sweat starting to bead on his forehead.

"Don't insult us both with lies." Fedosia glared at Ivan. She was going to take control of her life.

Ivan sighed and set his head in his hands.

"What do you want for silence?"

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Aglaia, the third wife of Ivan II, moved quickly through the halls of the castle, tears streaming down her bruised face. It wasn't the first time her husband had beaten her, but it had been the most savage, as if something had filled him with anger before he even heard her news.

No child. No heir.

The young woman turned a corner and found herself facing the veiled form of Lidiia, Steward of Moscow. "What troubles you, child?" The voice came as a hiss from beneath the black fabric that concealed the scars Lidiia's treachery had earned her.

Aglaia choked down tears. "I have failed again to provide a heir for the Grand Duke." The Stewart extended a scarred, withered hand from beneath her long robes. She set it on the young woman's shoulder as if to comfort her.

Lidiia pulled her prey close with her wizened talon. "You are in danger. He will kill you...unless you listen to me."

Ivan's wife was stunned. She could only weakly nod. Cruel eyes impaled her, gleaming like black pearls beneath the dark veil.

"Yes, I will help you." The hiss was now full of malice. "The house of Rurik will pay dearly for what they have done to us." The hand that had been ruined by age, sickness and violence now caressed Aglaia's face.

"And you, my dear, will be the instrument of this revenge."

A small smile began to form on the face of the younger women. Lidiia licked her cracked lips. She could taste the blood.

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Semyon sat alone in the dark. He wondered if he had finally reached the bottom of the pit. His estranged wife Anastasia had been kidnapped and now he was forced to admit she was gone forever. His sword arm was ruined by an old injury and his body had been ravaged by inactivity and drunkenness. If this wasn't the bottom, it was close.

The soldier was preparing to attack another bottle of wine when the dim candlelight revealed the face of his sister Maria. Deformed with a hunchback and with plenty of her own demons to struggle against, she remained perhaps the sharpest mind in Moscow.

"News, brother." Semyon let the bottle slowly move from his mouth.

"What new misfortunes do you bring." Maria's face showed a flash of anger. "I'm sorry. It's the drink...and everything else."

Maria dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "This is news you will want to hear. From our lands in Anatolia. It appears a nearby Muslim leader has taken a Russian woman as a wife. We can not be sure, but there is a chance."

The bottle disintergrated in his hands. Even in an alcoholic haze the soldier felt his awareness flooding back. His bleeding hands clenched into fists. The militarist stood to his full height. It was time to go to war.

"We do not know for sure." Maria whispered the words, somewhat shocked by the soldier's sudden resolve. Semyon shook his head.

"It is her. Now it is time to save her. Save her and punish the guilty!" His sister could only watch in amazement as he rushed out of the room as if charging an enemy line.

He was going into battle, a battle for his very soul, with or without help.

All: Holy fudging shoot I managed an update. For those who didn't know, my old computer died and I lost the save file for this AAR. That, coupled with a pretty insane schedule has kept me away. I decided to finish this, though, using what I remember from the game and a little creative license as needed. There won't be any more screen shots and some of the names and places might be wrong, but I think it won't have a huge impact. I sat down and mapped out the plotlines I want to use and I'm real close to the finish, so hopefully there won't be any more huge time lapses between now the then.

I'm also considering another Coat on the Floor, possibly very soon.

Anyways, thanks to everyone who has been following, now let's get to that big ending!

The final days of March saw the ice on the ground beginning to melt and a few sprouts of green starting to enliven the otherwise bleak terrain. The thaw was coming. New life and new hope. Still, winter was not over.

"You will address me properly, as the ruler of all the Rus!" The Grand Duke of Moscow extended a threatening finger toward the envoy of Novgorod. "Or will you challenge my claim?"

Fear flashed across the pale features of the representative of the northern republic. He had heard stories of the blunt arrogance of Moscow's absolute ruler but to be the focus of it was as chilling as the March winds. "We desire only friendship. We are partners, allies, not master and slave."

The Dragonslayer laughed. "There always must be a master."

The envoy struggled to regain control of the conversation. "We are not afraid of you. The defeat of the Tartar was as much our doing as yours."

A predatory smile spread across Ivan's handsome visage. "You speak the truth. But who is stronger now? Your republic is divided. While you struggle to hold what you have Moscow continues to harvest the other principalities. The day will come when you bow down to me, by choice or by force. I do not care which, but maybe you and the money-counters you serve do." Ivan's cruel smile deepened as the envoy suppressed a gulp and dismissed himself.

The Dragonslayer would soon have his war, one way or another. The thought pleased him greatly.

As the ruler of Moscow rose to leave the room he suddenly found himself very unsteady on his feet. The room gently rocked as he felt warm liquid welling in his eyes and sliding down the side of his face. A touch of his hand confirmed that it was blood. The walls were now spinning even faster and suddenly he found himself plunging into a dark abyss.

Ivan was found by servants face down on the floor, clinging to life by a thread.

Poison.

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Rogneda, the widow of Ivan I, had found a niche in Moscow assisting Anastasia and now Maria with the duties of Chancellor. Plans were in motion to convince the Grand Duke to organize a crusade against the Mohammedans in Anatolia on behalf of Semyon and his kidnapped wife Anastasia, but the recent "sickness" of Ivan threatened everything.

The only good news was it allowed the widow time to spend with her two children. This was tempered by the growing madness of her oldest child, Petr. The boy was now under watch in the monastery. There was talk of the need for exorcism. Diabolic possession.

Rogneda hadn't seen Petr since he was taken to the monastery, but she had finally decided she would see him. Maternal love was still stronger than her fear of evil in the shape of a young boy. In most areas Rogneda was coldly logical, but how could one apply reason to madness?

After a brief meeting with the monks, she was guided through a dark corridor to Petr's room. The small body of her son was restrained to a filthy mattress by leather straps. He had been biting pieces out of his arms, according to the monks.

Rogneda moved closer to the boy, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. Petr's wide eyes focused on her. "It's your mother." She set a hand on his arm, but recoiled in shock from the scars he had given himself. Petr began to laugh, as he shook as if having a seizure, the straps biting into already badly bruised skin.

"God have mercy." Rogneda whispered the words.

"Do you hear the voices? Do you hear them? The demons speak to me...they want to eat your flesh!" The laughter resumed, now echoing off the stone walls. "The voices!" Now Petr was screaming as if he was burning.

The monks hastened the boy's mother from the room. As she took her leave she could see the holy men applying an icon of the Blessed Virgin and praying over her child.

The screams continued and followed Rogneda as she retreated from the monastery.

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Toruntay, the Bey of Lykia, had never known a woman like Anastasia. The purity of her hatred for him was both frightening and worthy of his respect. He considered himself a man who could give women what they wanted and he had never failed in such endeavors until he made this Lithuanian woman one of his wives.

Looking out on the Mediterranean Sea with Anastasia standing silently by his side he sipped wine and wondered what it was about her that made her so desirable. She was beautiful, yes, she was intelligent and capable, but it came down to the challenge. It had been years since any aspect of life had failed to come easily to the Muslim ruler. Now he had a struggle on his hands. One he was losing badly.

"It is a beautiful sunset, no?" Toruntay had learned some of her language in the time they had been together. The woman from the north nodded sadly while continuing to stand as stiffly as a solider at attention. The Bey touched her hand gently and then withdrew his hand.

Nothing. It was like she was cut from Russian ice. Her days of screaming at him and calling him the Devil were over. This new silence was perhaps worse, though. It was as if her mind and soul were gone, leaving a chilling void of despair.

Toruntay debated forcing himself on her. It was an inner argument he experienced nearly constantly now. It would be an evil, but what other choice was there? It was unseemly that a man would fail to couple with one of his wives and people were starting to talk.

He sighed and continued to watch the sun slip below the horizon. Maybe it was time to return her to her homeland and find a move suitable woman? He sighed again.

Anastasia glanced at him for just a second with her dead eyes.

Vann the Red: It's good to be back writing. I wonder what the record is for most returns after long absence in an AAR is? I've got to be getting close to it. Thanks for following!

coz1: War is coming one way or another, but Semyon has a very clear agenda. He feels saving Anastasia will also save his own soul and he might be right. Liddia is always a lot of fun to write. I think I might have a preference for villains.

Nikolai: Do you hear me Igor, alive!!!

stnylan: We may have to rename this AAR Reanimator or something along those lines. I'm glad to be back writing, I didn't realize how much I missed it!

Lidiia is going to play a huge role in the big finish. I sometimes wonder who the real dominant character of this AAR is and while my knee-jerk reaction would be Ivan II I think Lidiia has really emerged as the trouble-maker who advances the plot. Fedosia is walking a tightrope between turning into an evil schemer like Lidiia or her mother Yulyana or escaping the intrigues of Moscow and havng her own life. Only time will tell. Semyon has a chance to maybe save himself, but it isn't going to be easy. What in Moscow ever is?

Estonianzulu: It's like a winter thaw...in late October? Maybe not. Lidiia's latest scheme is going to be a wild ride, I can promise that. You're right that one way or another this is going to her final gambit.

J. Passepartout: If you have to take odds, it's always a safe bet that things will end badly for any given character. Thanks for reading!

kingmbutu: I'm glad to hear it.

CatKnight: I almost considered starting a new thread and pretending this was a totally new story. Of course I'd been drinking heavily at the time. Ivan feels he owes something to Gerasim for his chronicle of his father and also he feels the Metropolitan knows better than he does. I see that more as an example of his indifference to this religious issue than his growing maturity. With Fedosia, I think he's enough of a schemer himself to know when it's in his interest to cut a deal. The Devil Child is not a major threat to him, so there's no point in earning her enmity. The good news is the blustering Ivan we all know and love is back in the current post...but for how long?

I can promise this final Lidiia storyline is going to be something else. This is her bid to take control of Moscow, and now it seems all the pieces are in place. No heir, a wife willing to kill to save herself...and probably a few more surprises to come! Semyon's future is hanging by a thread. There's cause for some hope, but the odds are not in his favor, as usual.

More to come, thanks again for all the support!