Coming today or tomorrow: This AAR Revived 
.
(And if I didn't before, Andre, thank you for nominating me all those months ago).
.(And if I didn't before, Andre, thank you for nominating me all those months ago
).
The Iron Horde: A Kirghiz Narrative AAR
- Thread starter Tufto
- Start date
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Coming today or tomorrow: This AAR Revived
(And if I didn't before, Andre, thank you for nominating me all those months ago
Good to see you back Tufto!
Nice. I won't hold my breath (mostly because I would asphyxiate within minutes and I don't expect an update to arrive that quickly) but I am quietly hopeful.
Coming today or tomorrow: This AAR Revived
(And if I didn't before, Andre, thank you for nominating me all those months ago
Glad to hear it!
Chapter Four: Council of Karluks
The winds of the steppe howled and hissed, but even the noise of the Sky-Father was drowned out by the gathering below. For all the clans of the Yenisei had come to meet at one single place and time.
The bank of the Yenisei were a most beautiful location: the frail grasses twisting and waving, the water gently rushing, all beneath the great mountains which divided the steppes. Here was the edge of the world, the peaks frowning down on those below, warning them of the lands of Uyghurs and the Tang which lay beyond. Riches and danger awaited all who trod that path.
Men and women lived, danced, prayed and sang through the streets formed by tents packed close. A young girl was running, laughing, holding a strange foreign fruit, being chased by a boy barely a year younger. Iron swords were being trained by fierce men, and some half-drunk clansmen were practising archery on several wooden posts.
Life continued on along the riverbank. But a little way away, a small gathering of other tents was fluttering in the breeze.
A meeting of the great clan leaders was taking place.
The main tent was full of seven people: the most trusted and powerful chiefs of the Kirghiz, their Khan, and sitting beside him, his new bride. Ipekel looked at the assembled lords with her slight smile glowing. They were all so easy to read, so predictable. Bönek was blathering on about the "new future" he intended to forge, and about the great lands which would be theirs, and the women and booty they could steal. He was a talker and a doer, who left little time for true thought.
The inner circle of the Kirghiz Khan.
The lords were all so easy to look through. Take Könçek, for example, the leader of the Akzhar clan. He was a wily one, in his way: capable of spinning and persuading and charming all around him in a fashion almost as good as her abilities. He was a good general, too, and Bönek had mentioned how on more than one occasion, his life had been rescued from certain doom by him. He could hunt, he was a genial and kindly fellow, honest, loyal, with a fervent faith in the Eternal Heaven- to the extent that he would disparage those from settled lands. But what more was he than that? Ipekel had little but disdain for him. He wasn’t a human, he was a carefully regimented model of human behaviour. He lacked all flair and intelligence, being merely a charming functionary, a model citizen. He was little more than inefficient device of some shah or emperor- in this case, of a Khan.
Köncek.
He was a fool, in truth. But were the others any better? Aschi certainly wasn't. His real name was Eldeçyuk: this was too simliar to the spymaster, so to avoid confusion they all called him Ashci, meaning bitter in the Cuman tongue. He was less foolish than Könçek in some ways: he actually had a little imagination. He was of an obscure mountain clan, but he was useful in his way- one of the most competent generals the Kirghiz had, though that was not saying much. He was watchful, patient, friendly- a clever, cunning, quiet type. But he squandered his potential with foolish fancies and greed. Ipekel despaired of such a human- he had all the natural gifts of a great man, but the only use he put them to was to enhance transient material pleasures. A walking cliché, in her mind.
Ashci-Eldeçyuk.
She stifled a yawn as Bönek said some rousing nonsense, to make the others cheer and raise their bowls in agreement. Eldeçyuk was the only one who didn’t- he merely smiled at the Khan. He was sat on the left side of Bönek, she on the right- to face the door of the tent was the place of highest honour. The quiet king of the spies was the only member of the little circle she could really respect. He was clever, able, cynical, savvy, competent in a quiet way and knowledgeable of the workings of the world while still retaining a conscience. His flaws? Well, there were none, really- save an undying loyalty to the Khan who had raised him from nothing. These people were too damn loyal- it was what stalled them from true greatness.
She supposed that she was loyal, too- but only because she was already at the top. The first wife of a Khan was the highest aspiration she could realistically hope for- even if he was the Khan of a faded realm on the poorest part of the Steppe. Though she had every intention of doing something about that The Yenisei Kirghiz had, only twenty or thirty years ago, been a truly great power- destroyers of the Uighur Khaganate, scourge of the Steppe and a prime possibility to be the next great rulers on the Steppe. But what were they now, but a faded band of marauding fools?
She sighed, and looked at the other two members of Bönek’s inner circle. Gzi of the Altay Clans was looking at her, but as soon as she glanced in his direction, he looked away again. That man was a disgusting thing to her, a monster clad in skin and clothes. He wore a shaven head with no shame, and was even more of a meticulously-run machine than Könçek- but instead of suffering from a chronic lack of any wit or creativity, this one had too much of both. He just chose to use them like a claw, flicking them out when he wanted, the rest of the time simply smiling his cruel smile. He did not drink. He rarely took a woman- though she’d heard horror stories from those he had taken. He was friendly and expressive, most of the time- a cunning façade for the inhuman thing beneath. If there was one virtue the man possessed, it was a curious, patronising care for the common folk- but even then he treated them as dumb children, to be herded with various yassa and yotun. That was almost as bad as the rest of his vices, in its own queer way.
Gzi of the Altay.
With a shiver, Ipekel turned away from him, to look at the final man in the tent. The Ayagoz, as he was called by most people, was a qam, or shaman. He guarded the holy place of the Ayagoz, from whence he took his name, where the Eternal Heaven was said to have touched Modu Chanyu all those years ago, in some trance above the river. The current Ayagoz was not, however, touched by any deity. The stuttering little oaf could be friendly enough when he chose to be, but was cruel, greedy, and constantly felt hard-done by. A whiny, spoilt child, whom Bönek only kept around for his great charisma with the masses- he was adept at a charlatan’s work of conning them into thinking that he was communing with Tengri himself. But in Ipekel's experience, it was a rare darganwho could commune with the divine.
Bönek the Ayagoz.
They were all such tired types of people, who Ipekel had encountered many, many times before in her travels. The charming dullard, the clever, grinning marauder, the wasted loyalist, the machine-being, the wailing drunkard. Mostly they bored her- except, curiously, for Eldeçyuk, who she counted as half a friend. Maybe because she needed one in this world of hostile menfolk. Most of them were worthless and pitiful.
And so was Bönek, if she was honest. The Khan- though she supposed he wasn’t a khan any more, merely a clan chief- loved to talk. And talk, and dream great dreams. But he was a fool, like all of them. He may have rescued the Kirghiz from decline, and he had some talent, but it had no direction, no focus. He was a real man, which she well appreciated in the night, but the best he could aspire to was a respected elder Khan, to be followed but who never led. He needed an impetus, a push.
That was where she came in.
She was a clever creature, and well knew it. She delighted in dancing circles and spinning webs around their frail hearts, these creatures of the sword and bow. She could implant an idea in their heads with a flirtatious grin and a wink. And she loved it. The power she held over the menfolk of the Kirghiz was tantalisingly real and tantalisingly pleasurable. She had only to speak a few words in bed to Bönek to convince him of the worth of this venture- something he had doubted until then. And now they were here, discussing war and blood and the submission of the Karluks.
Time to tune in again. “…and it is with regret that I must go”. What? She began to pay real attention at that. “Our new Khan should have known better than to provoke the Oghuz- the Turks are not to be trifled with. They once had a very powerful realm indeed, and will have one again unless our great master learns the elementary ways of statecraft. I must”- he looked at Ipekel here-“ go to war for him, for now. To placate him, until we can sweep his lands from under his feet. This is not a request I am pleased about, not now.”
“Why was I not informed of this?” came the Khatun’s voice like ice. Ipekel was fuming- Bönek was to tell her everything, and if she had to train him to do so then she would damn well train him.
“The messenger only arrived this morning, my love.” He smiled at her, so eager to reassure and please. Ipekel was not a boastful woman- far from it, she took special pride in identifying and destroying her weaknesses- but she knew that she had him, and a hint of hubris crept around her heart. She relaxed, abated, a secret smile on her heart.
“Then is the campaign off? I thought we were here to discuss war!” crowed the Ayagoz, grinning through an alcoholic haze. A sharp glance was given by Bönek towards him.
“Make no mistake, Qam, we are going to war. The land the Karluks stand upon belonged to my ancestors, and so it will be mine.” The Khan stood, proud and fierce in a way that even Ipekel could not resist. “I will be Khan again, and to be a Khan, I need followers. The Karluks will submit- but not yet. First, I must go west…”
The Oghuz have been provoked by the Cuman Khan a little to far- now they seek to take his realm for their own, which would be a headache for the Kirghiz...
Bönek comes out ahead, it seems, ahead of Khan Sokal. But what of Ipekel? She has already successfully manipulated a Khan - what's to say she won't attempt the same with Bönek? It seems their interests align for the time being, but if there ever was a divergence, I'd be very careful if I were Bönek.
An unusual partnership (and another strong female character, I see
I do like strong female characters
.Aye, Bönek needs to take great care with her- she can provide some intelligence and focus for his action-heavy brain, but she can act as a double edged sword. We shall see if she remains an asset or becomes an enemy... she is, despite what she may say, loyal to herself above all.
Well, I suppouse there's worse situations to work up to in the morning?
Indeed- he could have woken up in Crawley
.Nice, this Ipekel will definitely be pulling the strings going forward...
Aye
.Yep- and survival in my case, given the precarious positions I was in...
Aye- no real alliances and her stats were excellent, so she was the only real choice.
Welcome (belatedly) aboard, Asantahene
They aren't good, no, but they aren't catastrophic either. In this narrative, he was a compromise figure- no other candidate presented themselves, and he was a big strong man in a time when one was needed. His stats aren't catastrophic- essentially, I see him as an average ruler being propelled forwards by events beyond his control and the strong figures of Ipekel and Eldeçyuk beside him.Good to have you (again, belatedly, sorry) aboard- glad you like it, and I hope to keep it up
.Well, I'm trying not to ignore them, but also not to allow them to enslave the story. The stats are just how outwardly competent they are at various aspects of statecraft, to my mind. Bönek's stats aren't catastrophic, and with good advisors he could become a good ruler instead of the average one he starts as
.Hope you do go Zoroastrian. Tried to play as a Manichean Pecheneg Count where I converted to mainstream Zoroastrianism down the road. Expansion was a nightmare with the defensive pagans and half my dynasty refused to convert, so I ended up killing it
Aye, that happens an awful lot on these starts. It's only gotten worse with the new pagan mechanics- though at the same time, they make the whole thing more fun (on the whole). Still, try and try again
one day a steppe-Manichean will be something approaching playable .Once again, thanks, and my apologies again for not responding well to that. If I'm ever nominated for anything else, I promise prompt responses (not that my promising such things has been remotely accurate in the past, mind you
.)Thanks
.Nice. I won't hold my breath (mostly because I would asphyxiate within minutes and I don't expect an update to arrive that quickly) but I am quietly hopeful.
Expect-without-asphyxiation and you will recieve (several days late)!
.I am glad you are glad!
.
Glad this has returned. I thought I arrived too late . That was a nice introduction of the main characters. The wife seemed to be the puppet master here. That will be interesting indeed.
. That was a nice introduction of the main characters. The wife seemed to be the puppet master here. That will be interesting indeed.
It's been so long since the last update that I'd completely forgotten about the preponderance of diacritical marks in the names.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear... Ipekel seems altogether too ambitious for the tools (yes, there's double entendre there) she has at her disposal. People are going to get manipulated and I expect only Bönek is going to get any enjoyment out of it (rawr). The others might be too dense to even notice it.
The most interesting interaction right now looks to bo Ipekel-Eldeçyuk. He's smart enough to catch on to her, and her ways should appeal to his own sensibilities. But it's been reinforced that he is totally loyal to Bönek, so I wonder how he will react to Ipekel's actions that will strengthen the the realm, but do it by manipulating his boss.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear... Ipekel seems altogether too ambitious for the tools (yes, there's double entendre there) she has at her disposal. People are going to get manipulated and I expect only Bönek is going to get any enjoyment out of it (rawr). The others might be too dense to even notice it.
The most interesting interaction right now looks to bo Ipekel-Eldeçyuk. He's smart enough to catch on to her, and her ways should appeal to his own sensibilities. But it's been reinforced that he is totally loyal to Bönek, so I wonder how he will react to Ipekel's actions that will strengthen the the realm, but do it by manipulating his boss.
A great positioning update this..as others have said I fear that Bonek will have bitten off more than he can chew by marrying her-we will see how this pans out
Interesting, will be following. It's nice to see other steppe people besides Mongols once in a while.
Dude, you literally just did a steppe version of this song.
Would you be offended if I made some fan art of your chief's drunken wedding, and possibly a parody of that song? -because I am addicted to this AAR.
Ever since middle school, I have been fascinated by the Steppe Khanates (Khan is best king), and though I know only the basics of their culture, I one day dream of writing a lighthearted AAR set in the steppes. The biggest difference is that I name all my characters. Nothing says "unforgettable" like watching the world submit its fealty to Bubba Kirghiz, Khan of Cumania and soon to be Khagan of Tatarstan. Silliness and anachronistic names aside, I hope that I can maintain a realistic lifestyle of the characters (horses, riders, raiding, war, loyalty to the clan, so on) in at least a bare bones semblance of the mastery you've penned here.
This is, without question, one of my all time favorite AAR pieces. I rank it up with "Madness, the Crumbling Europe" and "Austria Over All: Poland Ball Picture Intensive"! If not for anything else, finish this AAR for me!
It does bear something of a resemblance, yes
.I would not be at all offended, and would be extremely flattered, so thank you
I fully intend to finish this, but given how my intentions to finish AARs have gone down in the past, take everything I say with a pinch of salt. I shall, however, have plenty of time with nothing to do after Thursday, so we may well see a revival. But again, don't trust anything I say, as I am notorious flaky with AAR updates.Bubba Kirghiz
.I should point out that my steppe-knowledge is mostly derived from the Mongols in a much later period, with some adapations for the 9th century Kirghiz, so what I'm portraying here isn't necessarily accurate
.But anyway- glad that you like it, and hopefully I'll get back to it once exams are over (and my turn on the Succession Game AAR is done).
(By the way, if you want something to tide you over, go and check out the CK1 AAR "Rome AARisen". It is pretty much the epitome of narrative AARs on these forums, and is basically a novel.)
Yes, you are notoriously cruel when it comes to leaving compelling stories incomplete.
Ah well, hope springs eternal... Having said that, hope might spring eternal indeed, but since Thursday has comfortably come and gone, I fear the well is running dry once more.