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Vorotinsky: How will this trouble end?

Shuisky: How will it end?
That is not hard to tell. A little more
The multitude will groan and wail...


...for more updates!

We (mostly) jest. Another splendid installment. Sometimes its tough being dropped into a situation where the cards are stacked against you.
Or worse... you have to go up against more than one Mongol Horde!

So while that Andrew chap may not have succeeded in restoring his kin to their respective crowns, he did at least manage to keep from getting turned into yet another graphic example of how Ghengis & Company inventively circumvent the prohibition against spilling royal blood...

May your yurt never lack for a horde of minions to carry it to the site of your next inevitable conquest, RGB.
 
canonized: I'm not actually all that good at writing about Court Life, but there will be a few clues in the next update. Exasperated is the right word - for the last oh, I don't know, since Nikephoros at least, the Empire doesn't seem to be able to get its act together.

VILenin: You haven't seen the last of the Knýtlings but no, he wasn't Knud. As for Greeks and Russian - you guys are becoming a bit too good at predicting things; on the other hand people were predicting that since Basil Long-Arms so...perhaps about time.

Estonianzulu: How do the Greeks think of him? Well, I'd imagine, although he still left the throne to Boris, so not completely positive.

thrashing mad: Novgorod and Lithuania seem to be doing all by themselves what I'd be doing in their place. Denmark is a huge source of income, even if you have to fight over it. Finland is just there, but better to expand yourself than let Sweden (a rival over Denamrk anyway) expand there and get stronger.

European Map - in two updates I think I'll do a little about the state of Catholic Europe.

Tskb18: you know it is hands down, by several hundred miles, my favourite of Pushkin's works. I overquote it but honestly...

Yes, actually, in that light the achievements aren't bad. Remember that the Mongols, even Christian Mongols, by the way, auto-annex your territories without discussing it at the peace table. It really really really could have been so much worse, complete with creative bllodless executions, but thei Khans kept dying and "heathens are splintered" events kept coming up.

ComradeOm: de Luisignans - yeah, might be a job for them, but all that Jerusalem can produce are Rurikoviches. We'll see how well they do.

There are some De Lusignans in Provence though, serving the Cosmokrator, but their loyalty is starting to waver.

---------

Comments still down, but to the six of the very best in AARland, so thank you guys.

Next update on Monday, and something smaller and a little different on Saturday coming up.

I am glad people appreciated the change of pace, because slower updates allow me to explain things from neighbouring updates a little better.
 
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great updates, I find it highly interesting that a knytling emperor rules in constantinople, its a long way from Denmark.
 
theycallmetight said:
great updates, I find it highly interesting that a knytling emperor rules in constantinople, its a long way from Denmark.

He's not a patrilinear Knytling, those probably went extinct about 1150. He is a Tmutarakan Rurikovich, descended from the great, long-lived and rather fertile Ingvar Vsevolodvich, son of St.Vsevolod Yaroslavich, the Grand Prince of Pereyaslavl, and Ingrid Knytling, daughter of the Danish King.

When Vladimir Vsevolodvich (Ingvar's brother) started emphasizing his matrilinear Monomachos side (hence the Monomach Dynasty, when they're really Vidin Rurikids), Ingvar emphasized his mother's dynastic name, and that's how you distinguish the two branches of the Pereyaslavl House.

The Knytlings, in this game, are really Tmutarkan Rurikids, and the Monomachs are really Vidin Rurikids. Andrew was the Prince of Tmutarakan before becoming Emperor.

I hope this clears things up a little.

----------

Incidentally, the Empire and its vassals DID control Denmark for a very long time. I should have tried installing a Knytling there, I suppose. But oh well, too late now.

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I'm sorry, but today was a little busier than I hoped so the mini-update is tomorrow, while the regular update is still Monday night.
 
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RGB said:
The Knytlings, in this game, are really Tmutarkan Rurikids, and the Monomachs are really Vidin Rurikids. Andrew was the Prince of Tmutarakan before becoming Emperor.

I hope this clears things up a little.

Anyone else find this last bit highly amusing :D
 
A Parting of Ways

The Private War

simeon-big.jpg


“Death solves all problems – no man, no problem”

- attributed to I.V.Stalin​


IDIOT. Boris, Boris! The boys are hurting Nick.

TSAR. Give him alms! What is he crying for?

IDIOT. The boys are hurting me...they took my penny. Give orders to slay them, as you slew the little tsarevich.

– Pushkin, Boris Godunov​


This whole thing is almost over, and the penultimate lecture; I’d finish it here, except I have to tie up some lose ends in the story. However, I’d have very much liked to finish it on that hopeful note, where the Greeks shake free of the Russians. That’s have made a nice contrast from the news. The election is over, Freedom Party won, and the Russian President sent his congratulations. That same week the head of our department went on to another position and a new head was promoted; he is from the Greek University in Constantinople, and I swear several of my so-called colleagues were smirking at me in the hallways. I was a little worried that they might send me to teach first-years General Antiquity again, but thankfully that didn’t happen. He met with me and said he appreciated the difficulty of teaching my class to undergraduates, and would like to come see me lecture next year. That means I’ve got a whole summer to find out what he wants to hear.​

So back to the end of the Monomach Empire. Andrew Knýtling was exactly what the Greek Lords wanted in an Emperor, and despite all his failings as a diplomat and a war leader his reign was domestically the quietest since Theodore the Great. His one legacy that went against everything the Greeks wanted was give the Empire back to the Monomachs in the end; but by the time he did it was too late to protest. So today I will talk about the Monomachs, in particularly bloody-handed Boris, the future Nikephoros VI. While Andrew was busy keeping the Empire intact, protecting it from over-ambitious nobles and rampaging steppe barbarians, Boris fought his battles against the whole world using spies and assassins. The second son of Theodore, who was the bastard son of Ekaterine, Boris was born in Vidin, but soon moved to Constantinople as Constantine Nikomedikos gave Vidin to the Chervens. Boris inherited Ekaterine’s greatest talent - intrigue. Traditionally the Monomachs, despite all their tyrannical ways, did not particularly resort to any shadow networks to maintain their power; under Andrew - specifically under Boris’ supervision - the secret networks soon grew to cover all of the former Empire and beyond, far into the West and also into Central Asia, perhaps as far as Karakorum. As Prince of Kiev, Pereyaslavl and Chernigov, Boris was an exceptionally wealthy man, and the network of spies and assassins was always his private project, much like the Barbarian Empire was largely a private plaything of the Monomachs. It funded largely by him and served his own ends. When they coincided with the Empire’s interests, all the better; if not, so be it.​

LastBarbEmp.png
The last three "Barbarian" Emperors

His first big achievement was getting himself ingratiated into the court; Andrew himself was not hostile to the Monomachs, but his courtiers were, including most of the people in important court positions. Over the years, one cannot help noticing how these nobles either die prematurely, or are implicated in some scandal and removed (such as the Demestikos Andronikos Gavras), or suddenly change their mind and start getting closer to Boris. By 1252, the Monomach is firmly within the closest circle of Andrew’s advisors, a much-celebrated man. He is the master of spies in 1258, and finally Kaisar in 1266. Boris’ usefulness to Andrew, however, seems to have come from his dealing with the Mongols. Boris, very early, advocated an alliance with one of the factions forming within the then-united Khanate, but his advice was ignored. However, he still cultivated friendship with Sartaq and with Hulegu’s heir Abaqa, especially through Tmutarakan and Cilicia. His exact methods of dealing with the Mongols after his allies were removed are unknown, but it is suspected that he used many channels - from Jewish Keraite merchants to Orthodox and Nestorian churchmen to any of the myriad splinter cults of the Hashishin – to get closer to the heart of the Mongol Empire; so that he could rip it out, still beating, no doubt. His greatest find was in Yisu-Setseg, later Prince Theodore of Tyrnovo, a very interesting character. Yisu-Setseg is properly a female name, and was given as a child’s name to Sartaq’s first (perhaps because of Berke’s efforts) son to survive the first year - to confuse the evil spirits should they come seeking the infant. Although Sartaq was technically Orthodox and his wife a Merkit Nestorian, they sent for a famous Mongol shaman who suggested the traditional cure. After Sartaq’s death Berke made much of the prince’s female name and his overprotective upbringing; knowing full well what happens to Berke’s enemies, the courtiers sympathetic to the boy smuggled him to the Byzantine court together with his sister, who was later to become the wife of Boris Monomach’s son Franjo. Theodore the Mongol carried a lifelong grudge against Berke and provided Boris and his agents with a lot of information on Mongol politics, customs and the geography of the Mongol Empire. This information was invaluable in Boris’ long stand-off against Berke Khan. Yisu-Setseg married a princess from Rostov, and his daughter Anastasia became the wife of Boris’ grandson Stanislav, Tsar of Kiev.​

Berke and Boris both ruled by fear and secrecy, silencing their enemies by bribery, assassination or blackmail, and the war of shadows they waged against each other is perhaps as epic as the Mongol conquest itself. Berke, having poisoned his way to the title of Khan of the Blue Horde, attempted to eliminate Russo-Greek influence in his domain when he burned Tmutarakan, and started a war against the Empire and its allies; Boris, estimating the military might of the Rus and Greeks insufficient, sent his assassins to kill him, but they failed time and again. Berke became aware of who his adversary was through means of his own, and fired back, wounding Boris himself and killing his son Franjo in 1163. Boris, furious, redoubled his efforts to rebuild a spy network; this was the beginning of a very long and personal struggle between the two. That same year, Boris successfully struck against Berke’s 15-year old son Atragh Timur, likely through a female assassin, ending any hope of Berke’s line inheriting. Berke, to ensure his own power and succession, took to grooming protégés from among his nephews but Boris’ agents assassinated Bat-Hursan (and his entire retinue, probably through poisoned wine) during a feast in 1265, and Tode Mongke in 1266. Berke’s agents retaliated by killing Boris’ daughter Maria, as well as several important members in the government of Kiev; the final target of a narrowly failed assassination was Boris’ wife - the daughter of Emperor Andrew. Boris, however, had the last word. Though the means of the success are still unexplained, Berke was dead in 1266, and his protégé Mongke-Timur in 1267, leaving the young, pliable Gunqan, a shamanist with Christian sympathies, as Khan. The young Khan struggled in establishing power over the Horde, but recieved assistance from Boris and his new ally, the great Mongol general Nogai. In return for retaining power over the Blue Horde, was easily persuaded to ally with Byzantium and strike against Catholic Moldavia and then against Cherven Bulgaria, returning coveted Vidin to Monomach hands. Whether he fell to Boris’ assassins, or someone else’s, or simply died at the ripe old age of 20 is hard to say, but his very young sons - Asep Qutlugh and Tortogul - were both brought up as Nestorian Christians, in the care of Nogai Khan, a non-Jochikhanid nobleman and one of the architects of the fall of the Ilkhans, at one time ally of Berke and later his rival. Nogai himself was also a shamanist, perhaps favouring Islam, but pursuing Christian alliances, one of the most lasting ones of which was with the Byzantines. He and Boris - Emperor since Andrew’s death in 1271 - had clearly reached an understanding of sorts, and frequently joined forces against the Seljuks and the Chaghatids. Nogai’s own sons, both of whom later converted to Byzantine Orthodoxy, were the power behind the Khans of the Blue Horde during their lifetimes, until the true descendants of Batu could shake the influence of long-dead Boris and Nogai from their nation.​

Post-Stanislav.png

Boris’ reign - as Nikephoros VI - is then to be taken as the culmination of Monomach ambitions since Ekaterine’s time; however, it only lasted 6 years - six years of terror for both his enemies and his subjects. While Emperor Nikephoros lived, nobody dared oppose him. This serious, quiet man held in his fingers all the chains that bound the Empire captive to the Monomachs, but he held them too tightly, trusting few with the knowledge he had; once he died, the control slipped forever since his successors - his hapless son Stanislav in particular - knew little of the nature of Nikephoros’ power. The War of Shadows that he played so well left too many assassins looking for employment and more than a few enemies seeking revenge; and the War took its last victim shortly after his own death. In 1277 Nikephoros’ son Stanislav was crowned as Emperor Heraklios III; within just four months, he was dead, thrown unexpectedly by a horse off a cliff; the horse was a coronation gift from Cyprus, and the grooms who prepared it for the ride were nowhere to be found. The popular story is that the horse was trained to throw the rider at a secret signal, which must have been given by a member of Heraklios’ retinue. The election saw Ioannes Elegemites as Emperor almost immediately, because all major heirs to both the Knýtling and Monomach houses were undearage; and the memory of the reign of Andronikos Petzikopoulos was still fresh. Among angry accusations, the boyars serving the nest of underage Monomachs and Knýtlings claimed their titles and broke with the Empire; the Slavic ares of the Empire were used to having their way, and seemingly held loyalty only to the descendants of Rurik, abandoning the Empire in a difficult hour. Alexei Bayan, ten years old and son of the slain Franjo, became Tsar of Bulgaria. Stanislav, 6, son of Heraklios, became Tsar of Kiev, and Alexios Knýtling, 11, became Tsar of Tripoli. Ivan Knýtling, 14, was proclaimed Tsar of Tmutarakan, while still hiding out in Crimea by the local nobility, perhaps under Mongol pressure. This must have amused Nogai Khan who restored the devastated city to Ivan, provided that Ivan was once again willing to become a vassal of the Blue Horde.​

The Barbarian Empire was officially no more. The Greek Empire, however, was no worse off for all that; under the Elegemitoi the Greeks seemed to have found a new purpose, expanding everywhere through diplomatic means, and allying with Western powers to help them fight the Seljuk adversaries. Had the the Russians not spent the last hundred years bleeding Greece to keep the Empire bound to them, maybe the spirited Elegemites revival would have been successful; but as we all well know, the real world is hardly an ideal place.​
 
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Lovely image at the top there . So a lot of intrigue involved with this particular update . It's also a bit sad to see the diminished Greeks , but I suppose in that case it was a necessary thing to go further in line with a historical setting .
 
things should get pretty interesting when all those sons of Rurik come of age and start vying for power.
 
So 'parting of ways' finally took place? Great rolepleying of Boris Monomach - I guess that assassinations were on a daily basis. :D Nice to see picture of Simeon I also in your AAR, it really fits into image of ruthless Boris, together with opening quotes. Also story of girly-named Yisu-Setseg is quite interesting - your own idea, or based on real history?

Too bad that fascinating period of 'barbarian empire' ended. It seems that Greeks would be focused on Seljuks, and Rus` on Tatars - different goals. But this period would definitely alter further history of Russia - can`t wait to see how. :D
 
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Sounds like the Byzantine revival won't last and that in the future, perhaps once the old empire has faded away, Russia will cast a long shadow over the region.

I was looking at Stanislov (Heraklios) and noticed the -1324 prestige! No wonder he was usurped! :p
 
VILenin said:
I was looking at Stanislov (Heraklios) and noticed the -1324 prestige! No wonder he was usurped! :p

By the AI Principality of Cyprus, no less! Truly CK is a wonderful game, cause I didn't see that one coming.
 
VILenin said:
Sounds like the Byzantine revival won't last and that in the future, perhaps once the old empire has faded away, Russia will cast a long shadow over the region.

I was looking at Stanislov (Heraklios) and noticed the -1324 prestige! No wonder he was usurped! :p

good grief I just noticed that too . that's terrible !
 
Ah.

One Tsar (noble, Knýtling, Greek! [i.e. Russian]) followed another (sly, wicked, Russian! [i.e. not actually Russian]).

Mice never tire of choosing cats to watch over them based on the colour of their fur, do they?
:D

TSAR:
For me no happiness. I thought
To satisfy my people in contentment,
In glory, gain their love by generous gifts,
But I have put away that empty hope;
The power that lives is hateful to the mob,--
Only the dead they love. We are but fools
When our heart vibrates to the people's groans
And passionate wailing. Lately on our land
God sent a famine; perishing in torments
The people uttered moan. The granaries
I made them free of, scattered gold among them,
Found labour for them; furious for my pains
They cursed me! Next, a fire consumed their homes;
I built for them new dwellings; then forsooth
They blamed me for the fire! Such is the mob,
Such is its judgment! Seek its love, indeed!
I thought within my family to find
Solace; I thought to make my daughter happy
By wedlock. Like a tempest Death took off
Her bridegroom--and at once a stealthy rumour
Pronounced me guilty of my daughter's grief--
Me, me, the hapless father! Whoso dies,
I am the secret murderer of all;
I hastened Feodor's end, 'twas I that poisoned
My sister-queen, the lowly nun--all I!
 
I have to say that either Mondays are a bad day to update, or else what I thought was my best update to date, writing-and-theming-wise, was dreadfully unappealing.

I'm almost tempted to bring out the Sad Panda (if anyone remembers that one)

-----

Replies:

canonized: The picture is of Tsar Simeon of Bulgaria, which I found very appropriate considering that Boris is my only Bulgarian Emperor.

As for furthering the story - yes indeed. I wasn't holding on to the Empire too tightly, because of course I have to go back to paying Russia. But the AI delivered me a surprise...I was planning to have me another civil war between the young Monomachs after Heraklios died naturally, but the AI didn't like his bad prestige score and assassinated him.

TCMT: Yes, it will be interesting. No more pretenses about any sort of orthodox unity...and then of course there's still the Mongols to deal with...

thrashing mad: daily basis? almost.

Yisu-Setseg - that one is kind of tenuous. It did happen among the Mongols (all sorts of interesting naming patterns to ward off evil spirits) and AFAIK actually did happen to the royal family (although much later, possibly in the 1400s in Mongolia proper) but having it happen in the Golden Horde I did for fun.

In gameplay terms, a regular Mongol princeling was born with the "effeminate" trait which is part of Mezzo's unfinished mod that produced my gay Emperors. It replaces some defect trait or other from the vanilla game, and the two traits are supposed to have a slight correlation through an event that doesn't work.

VILenin - "Two Romes have fallen. The third stands. And there will not be a fourth. No one will replace the Christian Tsardom!"

:p

Tskb18: hah, you're really reading that one right through. Poor Boris!

On one hand, what you said about mice is true. On the other hand, the Greek princes didn't think of themselves as mice.

--------

What I said about "penultimate" is true, by the way. The story (with the "Year's Worth of Education" and all) is almost over, and the next update is the last in the familiar format.

This doesn't mean I won't tell you what happened between 1277 and 1393, I'll just do it in a different format of updates, probably significantly shorter and less graphically involved than these last few have been.

Sorry about not providing the weekend special update, that's still scheduled but I have to actually finish it first.

Cheers.
 
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RGB said:
I'm almost tempted to bring out the Sad Panda (if anyone remembers that one)
You mean this one?

sad_panda.jpg


No comments make me a Sad Panda! :( ;)
 
Yes, that one.
 
That should be felony use of a sad animal to get attention!
 
Let it never be said that I disappointed a panda in need! Another fascinating update with the Empire finally collapsing under the weight of so many dynastic rivalries. I expect that the next set of updates will deal primarily with the Greeks?

As for changing the format, you have this particular style very much refined at this stage but I can appreciate the huge amount of work that it must consume. Still, I'd love to see the AAR take a completely leftfield direction - the Greek Empire as told through the medium of interpretive dance!