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Ooh, I hope this lasts until the horde comes. I'd really like to see how you handle them.
Oddly enough, seems like you are moving quite fast in an AAR titled "No Need to Rus". :D
 
Ooh, I hope this lasts until the horde comes. I'd really like to see how you handle them.
Oddly enough, seems like you are moving quite fast in an AAR titled "No Need to Rus". :D

I know, I love the irony. I expect things will slow down a bit once I have all of Russia under my thumb.
 
It was well-known in Russia that Vasilii wished to expand to the shores of the Caspian Sea. This had almost been achieved in the war against the Cumans, but the simultaneous war between the Cumans and Turkmen had ruined that plan. Vasilii chose the simple option, and simply took the lands from the Turkmen usurpers.




Following the conclusion of the war Russia settled into a period of peace. This was not like the peaces that had come before, brief and fleeting. This was the time of growth and stability that Russia so sorely needed, and Vasilii returned to Novgorod to rule over his Kingdom like a real king.

It was during this time that his daughter Veleslava was brought into the world, and the Kingdom rejoiced at the week-long celebration.



Vasilii sought to build long-lasting relations with his vassals, and the first step in his plan was to gain the support of the many young nobles in the realm. He began taking hunting trips with six-year-old Baevi, Count of Onega.




In November 1106 the question of Valeslava's education was raised. Vasilii still remembered the lonely days and nights of his childhood ruling over his own land, and decided not to condemn his daughter to that. He decided to keep her close and teach her as he wished his parents had taught him.



In August 1107 the Rurikovich family expanded once more, with the birth of Vasilii's first son. He was christened Mstislav after his grandfather, the man who had laid the foundation of Russia.



The breeding continued.



At the beginning of the next year Vasilii faced his first challenge as a father. Young Valeslava demanded more toys from her parents, which put her in stark contrast to her father's modest generosity. Vasilii suggested the problem be dealt with by strict discipline, but his wife suggested a more gentle approach of nudging her to play among the other children of the court. In the end the Queen's choice prevailed, and they hoped that their actions would help their daughter make new friends.



Another son was born soon after. He was christened Rostislav Rurikovich after his uncle, a man who had died before Vasilii had even been born.



Raising the ever-expanding brood of Rurikoviches took its toll on Queen Ida, and she sunk into a deep depression. Vasilii stood helpless as his beloved wife fell further and further, unable to do anything to help.



The depression did nothing to prevent the royals from conceiving another child. As much as it hurt, Vasilii had to put his house before his wife.



Vasilii's first vain attempt to cheer his wife up was to sponsor entertainers in the court. While it did help ease the worries of the courtiers who feared their King had forgotten about them, it did little for the Queen.



Finally, Vasilii gave up on saving his wife himself. Convinced that greater devotion to faith was needed, he prayed for salvation from God and sent young Mstislav to be raised by the monks.



After the birth of third daughter Dobroslava Queen Ida seemed much happier than she had in recent weeks. Vasilii knelt before the cross and thanked the Lord for helping his wife.



Only time would tell if she would make a full recovery.
 
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The peace wouldn't last forever, and Vasilii had long hated the pagan tribes in his lands. The host was assembled and they marched on their foes.




The tribes were quickly overwhelmed by the horde of armored Russians and their land integrated into Rus'.



Among the belongings of the late Mordvin chief the Russians found something unusual. The pagan had been in possession of an iron crown, and this was brought before King Vasilii. Declaring it to be the crown of the Khazars, Vasilii crowned himself as their king.



It was at this time that the Russians began hearing tales of a group of norsemen to the East. Thinking it was some old Viking remnant Vasilii sent an envoy to make contact with them.

As it turned out, they were actually a new colony established by the Kingdom of Denmark. Nobody had any idea why the Danes would want to live on the Steppe but Vasilii wished them the best of luck.




Leaving Queen Ida to her own devices was clearly the best choice, and in July of 1109 she entered the court for the first time in weeks. The nobles held their breath as she walked to the front of the room and sat beside her husband.



Vasilii credited his wife's recovery to God, and in payment for saving her he swore to spread the true faith across the land. The first targets were the old lands of Georgia, which had almost entirely fallen to the Saracens. The army reassembled and marched on the heathens.

(everything north of the red line is Christian, everything below is Muslim)


The sheik's pleas for help were unanswered, and without the aid of their Seljuk master they were quickly overrun.




The Russian advance was also aided by peaceful conquest when the Georgian Count of Kasogs agreed to join Russia.



Vasilii's aggressive policies were proven wise in March 1111 when the stability of the realm reached an all-time high. The fields were rich, land was being reclaimed from the forests and population boomed.



With the sheik of Imeretia deposed Vasilii declared himself as the savior of Georgia and the true king of the Georgians. This was followed by a declaration of war.







One of the advantages of letting his subordinates handle the war effort was that Vasilii had the chance to spend time with his family. When young Veleslava was slow to speak he jumped at the chance to set a good example for his children.



When the time finally came for formal education Vasilii decided his daughter would be raised at the court, at her father's right hand.



Georgia was conquered and the crown taken, giving Vasilii yet another Kingdom.


 
Wow; this has been a fun read, Beelz. Enjoyed the cliffhangers toward the beginning, and can't wait to see where Vasilii and his heirs go.

Keep up the good writing!
 
Wow; this has been a fun read, Beelz. Enjoyed the cliffhangers toward the beginning, and can't wait to see where Vasilii and his heirs go.

Keep up the good writing!

Glad you're enjoying it.
 
At the end of 1111 Vasilii Rurikovich faced his first conflict within the realm: his vassals' inability to protect their own lands had led to three counties being seized by pagans, who understandably refused to swear fealty to a Christian King.



The army was gathered and the counties regained in a short and brutal war. They were placed under more competent leadership in the hope their leaders would defend them properly.

In January 1112, while attending a tournament, Vasilii found himself in a heated argument. At first he had ignored Count Pavel's goading, but when he made the suggestion that Vasilii's father had been a base murderer things turned ugly. Vasilii struck the man across the face and had him dragged away from the tourney field, vowing to see him undone.



Feeling the need to bring his family closer to the Church, Vasilii sent his son Rostislav to be raised in a monastery. No doubt being among men of faith would fill the boy with modesty and generosity.



The peasant uprisings continued across Russia, once docile serfs openly attacking their masters. It was vital that the Russian nobles had enough troops to fight the rebellion, and to this end the Scutage tax was abolished once more.



The spread of the Orthodox faith hit a snag in December 1112 when the pagans of Syrj resisted the construction of a new church on what they claimed was their holy land. Vasilii ordered construction to continue and gave all priests in the area armed guards.



Later that same month Dhiyab ibn Marwan, a Muslim who had fled to the Russian court as a child, completed his education. Despite the prejudices against Muslims and pagans, all in the court agreed that Dhiyab was unmatched in his skill with coin. Such was his ability that heathen or not Vasilii planned to make him steward.



Dhiyab seemed comfortable among Christians, even inviting an old rival to a tournament so he could settle their dispute the Christian way. His confidence was misplaced, and as their horses came to a stop a financial genius lay in a growing pool of his own blood.




In January 1113 the conflict with the pagans came to blows. Several priests were found crucified in the woods, a gruesome insult to the Orthodox Church.



To the best of his knowledge Vasilii had never given anyone cause to hate him, not including the pagans. So it was a great surprise when the door to his bedchamber splintered inwards and an assassin stepped in. The man was clad in all black and had only a small slit in the cloth for his eyes. He drew his sword and charged at the King.

Vasilii charged back and caught the man's stomach with his shoulder. They struggled for a moment before the King found himself standing over the assassin. He lifted his foot and stomped down.

 
The assassin rolled to the side and Vasilii's foot came down on the floor. He grabbed a candlestick from the mantle and hurled himself at his attacker. He felt a sharp pain in his side.

Vasilii groaned, the candlestick fell at his side, and blood spattered the floor. The assassin pushed him backwards onto the bed and he lay there, clutching at the wound in his side in vain. The assassin finished the job.

The King is Dead.
Long Live the King.

**********************************************************************

The identity of that king was something of a mystery, with the Princes backing rival candidates. In the running were the bastards Koz'ma, Alexandr and Stanislav, the legitimate Rurikovich heir Pavel, and a variety of other dukes and counts.

After several days of political maneuvering it seemed that Ladies Arsinde and Ida had managed to secure Pavel Rurikovich as the heir. Everyone was under the impression that it was practically a certainty, but as we all know certainties rarely go to plan. Koz'ma, bastard child and eldest son of Mstislav Rurikovich, slipped into the court unnoticed, and aided by his courtiers he spread news of the favors he would bestow on his supporters. In under an hour he had most of the Russian court in his sway, and when the time came to vote he won in a landslide.



The differences between the new King and the old were as night and day: where Vasilii was merciful, Koz'ma was vengeful and unforgiving. Where Vasilii was generous and open-handed Koz'ma sought only personal gain. And where Vasilii was devoted to the Church, Koz'ma had more than his share of doubts about God and Faith.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the bribe-heavy way he kept control Koz'ma had no powerful friends to speak of. Because of his rather abrasive personality however he had a fair few enemies. He also had no children to call his own, his only daughter having died some years back and the child in his court being a fosterling sent by a sibling.



The one thing he did bring to Russia was a skilled court: his wife Anastasia proved to be very clever with money, rivaling the skill of the deceased Dhiyad ibn Marwan. Another of his courtiers, a nobleman by the name of Mladen Nemanji, proved himself as a great tactician. The two of them were immediately promoted to Steward and Marshal, making up somewhat for the loss of the brilliant Vasilii.



Despite competent leadership the Russian nobles simply did not feel comfortable serving under their new liege. Many among them argued that he was an illegitimate liege, even those who had voted for him. They seemed to have reconsidered their decision and wanted to see a legitimate descendant of Prince Mstislav on the throne, whether by peaceful means or otherwise.

The first to attempt the latter was Jadviga Rurikovich, Countess of Kama. She declared Koz'ma a stain on the house of Rurikovich and declared independence.



Showing true cunning the Church took this chance to test the loyalty of their new liege. A delegation of priests and monks arrived in the court requesting that Koz'ma honor a donation promised by Vasilii. Koz'ma turned them aside and told them that if they wanted donation money they should do a day's work for a change.



Danib Vasilievich, Bishop of Murom, was the next to rebel.



Matters got worse when Yaropolk, Count of Velikiye Luki, joined the rebellion. If Koz'ma didn't do something soon it would grow into a full-fledged civil war.



Later that month the Prince of Vitebsk declared independence, bringing several vassals with him. In response Koz'ma declared that any rebel who refused to rejoin Russia would be stripped of all titles and land.



The first rebel state to fall was Kama, the county which had started it all. Countess Jadviga not only lost her land, but also her noble status among Russians. The court had tried to stop the latter, but Koz'ma would not be swayed.



The time came for a formal education to be chosen for Rostislav, but Koz'ma was busy with his wars. He agreed that Rostislav would remain at the monastery for religious study, but it was mostly just a way of keeping his dead brother's children out from under his feet.



Yaropolk of Velikiye Luki was the next to fall, and he suffered the same fate.



Having lost her father and finding herself in the care of a bitter warmonger Veleslava became increasingly cynical and suspicious of everyone around her.



The court managed to convince Koz'ma to take a different stance with the Prince of Vitebsk: rather than regaining the territories through conquest, Koz'ma agreed to renounce any and all claims against Vitebsk in exchange for the Prince rejoining the Kingdom of Russia. The deal was agreed to and that part of Russia returned to normal.



With all rebel lands reintegrated Russia was united once more. But the nobles were discontent and it was no secret they didn't like Koz'ma. Only time would tell if he could keep a lid on the powder keg of Russian politics.


(red is Russian border, blue is Koz'ma's personal demesne)
 
I'm a little late to the party, but a great story so far :) Are you planning on expanding further South or West, or just sticking to Russian territory?

The party is far from over.

And I have plans to take a few choice areas in Europe, but unless I get a better King than Koz'ma it'll have to wait.

Glad to have you following.




Also, let us all take a moment to mourn Dhiyab ibn Marwan. I honestly hoped that guy would stick around longer.
 
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To anyone still reading, I apologize for my delay in updating. CK2 has been eating up far too much of my time.

The next update will be up momentarily.
 
After a life of 48 years Mstislav Rurikovich had left his considerable realm to his child. An assassin's blade had cut his life short before he could achieve his goal of crowning himself King, but his actions had already laid the foundations of a kingdom greater than his ancestors could have ever imagined.

Vasilii Rurikovich inherited the Principality of Greater Novgorod when he was but a child, and though his naivety allowed the noblemen to manipulate the laws of the realm he had still accomplished great things. He lived only 27 years, but in that time Novgorod became Russia, he was crowned as their first King, and the rule of the Rurikoviches stretched from the Arctic to the Caspian.

Koz'ma was not the leader his predecessors had been.

The anarchy which so many hoped had been nipped in the bud reared its ugly head once more in September 1113. The Bishopric of Lower Volga, established by Vasilii, was overrun by nomadic pagans. Their chief, Uzur, declared the lands to be the territory of his people.



Nomads were the least of Koz'ma's worries: traitors among the vassals of the realm took advantage of the instability to make gains for themselves. The first sign of treason came when the treasury was found stripped bare.



The steward had been Anastasia, Koz'ma's own wife. As much as he hated to suspect his wife of such a crime he knew he could take few risks when it came to the treasury. Anastasia was informed of her immediate replacement.

It was not only her job as steward that Anastasia was losing: Koz'ma was spending more and more time with the daughter of one of his vassals, no doubt searching for a replacement.



Koz'ma had always suspected that the nobles of the realm didn't respect him, but when one of them refused to respect the Novgorod Laws he knew they didn't fear him either.



Not long after the Prince of Smolensk declared independence. The cause of removing the bastard ruler rose once again, and this time the enemy was a Prince with a considerable army at his command.



Seeing the need to gather as many allies as possible Koz'ma sent 'gifts' to the local barons. In exchange they would support him at court, giving a semblance of unity.



Septermber was not a good month for Koz'ma, with two simultaneous defeats against the rebels.



As if things couldn't get any worse, the Georgian Count of Derbent took the chance to lead a rebellion.



On the other side of the Kingdom the Lithuanian County of Zhmud declared independence.



In February 1114 the Prince of Smolensk was defeated. Being rebel scum of the worst king, Prince Nikita was stripped of all titles and banished from Russia.



The fighting reached a lull in 1114 and Russia looked to be pulling itself back out of the strife.

Then a minor Count attacked another minor Count. Through a network of deals, bargains and alliances the realm was divided, and all hell broke loose.





 
Thank you so much for this excellent AAR! By the way what version of this game are you playing? Is it Deus vult with the latest patch? The Ai seems to be pretty passive and I am surprised that Germans didn't tried to capture the paganic Baltic provinces and the Sweden, it seems that they are doing absolutely nothing. What fun is this game then? And it seems that the other dynasties doing absolutely nothing. And I was astonished that nobody even tried to prevent Prince of Novgorod from claiming the title of the Great prince (or King or Великий князь if being absolutely correct).
 
Deus Vult, fully patched. I don't know why the AI is just sitting there.

Thanks for reading, its getting pretty lonely in this part of AARland.
 
I haven't. I'll up aggressiveness settings from now.

Happy to hear you like my style. There are lots of REALLY good WritAARs on this forum and I worry that my work pales in comparison.
 
To The Few Readers I Have Gathered

The laptop which this AAR's files were stored on had been broken. I apologize for having to end this AAR early, but I fully intend to begin one in CKII in the coming days. If any of you have suggestions for a character to play I would appreciate it.