Empire on Wings (Orthodox AAR)

[FondMemberofSociety]

Empire on Wings
Special Record
The 3rd Generation Lords and Ladies of the House of Lithua ​

When we think of a rising people, 3rd generation was generally when this rising people faces various problems and start internal squabbles before collapsing wholesale. With such history in mind, it may serve a purpose to observe the 3rd generation of the House of Lithua.

There is a reason why I am not doing a complete survey: namely, I want to actually play as Rimvydas which would be indefinitely postponed if I do a complete survey, and there are so many Lithua lords in the realm their attitudes should be pretty representative of the entirety. This would be a snapshot episode, and unless there is popular demand, it may the only one of its kind.

Without further ado! On Feb 2, 1037! The Lords and Ladies (of or over ducal rank) of the Lithua!

King Rimvydas of Lithuania​

As the third-generation and fourth helmsman of the great Lithuanian ship, Rimvydas, ex-Duke of Volhynia and incumbent kynaz of Lithuania, was born with great military talent, in both body and mind. However, Pukuveras wished for his eldest son to be a diplomat, so he ended up being trained in diplomacy anyway. Strongly under the influence of his father, Rimvydas also became well-read and zealous. After the death of his first wife Audra, who provided him with connections to the now defunct Arpad Khaganate, he is married to his grand-niece Gintare, of mere tender 20 years even now, before succeeding his father. At age 38, he is the second-eldest person to ever ascend to the Lithuanian throne. May he have a long and proseperous reign!

(Age of ascension, respectively: Kernius: 56 - Montvilas: 24 - Pukuveras: 28 - Rimvydas: 38)

Algirdas, Duke of Bohemia (as Algirdas II) and Minsk (as Algirdas I)​

Asides from her youth and beauty, Gintare is also the daughter of the second-most powerful man in the realm, Duke Algirdas of Bohemia and Minsk, currently busy with amassing more funds to keep being charitable. He is, technically speaking, Rimvydas' nephew, but 3 years his senior. Rimvydas, back in his ducal days, probably decided to ally with his powerful nephew as an additional security. Holding vast estates and able to call up a huge army, Algirdas is surprisingly a mediocre general, but their small age difference and close relationship still prompted Rimvydas to name him as his heir. Still, as a lord serving the bellicose Rimvydas, the brave siege leader general would see war soon, if he couldn't weasel out of it.

Duke Erdenis of Greater Poland​

Currently in his second reign as Duke of Greater Poland, Erdenis is the second son of the late Duke Montvilas of Bohemia, and the most powerful claimant to the title. However, his turbulent reign and wounds brought out the worst in him, making him a one-handed disgrace to the family. His now-public amorous adventures have made a wreck out of warrior, and now he languishes in his residence in Poznan, wracked by the painful and unsightly Lover's Pox. Despite this, he is still grateful for Rimvydas' father's decision to restore his position. With his only son a child, Lithuania's northwestern borders are no longer secure. Only time could tell if he would straighten up.

Duke Gintaras of Kiev​

Duke Gintaras is, like Rimvydas, a third-generation Lithua. His claim to the royal title has soured the relationship between cousins somewhat, but their similarities have outweighted their differences, and their relationship is generally amicable. Due to legal complexities in succession, Gintaras lost Korosten, an issue Rimvydas has slated to be solved soon. Gintaras is a diplomatic character who manages the Dnieper trade that provides much of Vilnius' funding (in-lore: I should be making my gold off selling slaves to the Romans, but CK2 does not have a slave trade mechanic), the work is stressing him out. Though prone to bouts of rage, he is actually unwilling to engage in physical conflict. It may prove to be a problem, as Kiev faces the greatest current threat to Lithuania, the Bolghar Khaganate.

Duchess Aldona of Silesia​

Another 3rd gen Lithua, Aldona is the eldest of the late Duchess Roze's 6 daughters. An Arpad by her father's line, she inherited the great talent her distant Magyar ancestors had for war. Patient and temperate, she is also quite ambitious, yet her wars did not bear fruit due to the limited resources she had at her disposal. She has accumulated many health problems as a result, and may not be long for this world. Fortunately, her husband and father of her son and heir is none other than the mighty Duke Algirdas of Bohemia. She tolerates Rimvydas because she is just too old to be in the mood to start a rebellion.

Duke Vytenis of Yatvinga​

With his realm securely nestled in the Lithuanian heartland, Vytenis unsurprisingly satiated his war-lust against the Count of Sudovia, Rimgaila Lithua. The only legitimate son of his mother, he was trained in the arts of intrigue - which he completed with stellar colors, but it ran at odds with his otherwise upright personality. A scholarly, brave and just ruler, the various conditions of his lot in life have drove him stark raving mad at the young age of 24. A 5th gen Lithua from the line of Kernius, he has three sons already. Perhaps his sons would be luckier...

Duchess Jevna of Lesser Poland​

Youngest of the great lords and ladies of the realm, Rimvydas' eldest legitimate niece was thrust upon the ducal sede after her father's untimely demise in single combat at the young age of 30. Unfortunately, the late Duke Algirdas of Lesser Poland also happens to be Rimvydas' only brother, and the kynaz has taken upon himself to ensure his 4 nieces survive to adulthood - if for nothing other than the cold necessities of dynastic politics.

Gaudimante is illegitimate and Jevna, Danute and Vida are legitimate. Names relative to portraits in descending order.

Duke Erdenis of Red Ruthenia​

Last but not least, the newly created Duke Erdenis of Red Ruthenia, who would have been Duke of Minsk if that title did not have elective succession. A 4th gen Lithua from Kernius' line, he is given the task of managing a newly conquered area, where the people are mostly tribal.

Cherven, Peremyshl and Belz on the economic map. Only Chevren is feudalized.

A young and diligent ruler, life cast away from a title he claims has left him paranoid and envious. Nevertheless, he is extremely satisfied with his current lot in life. If the feudalization of Red Ruthenia goes through, he might come to have... greater aspirations, with the new power at his disposal.

And to finish off, all of Lithuania on the economic map

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

Empire on Wings
Record XV
The (Not so) Old Man and The (Grass) Sea​

Following the footsteps of his late father, Rimvydas was constantly preparing for the mysterious day of "Army Organization 4", and the subsequent day of reckoning with Svjpod. His father died without solving the Livonia issue, and in this respect Rimvydas most certainly did not want to follow his father's footsteps.

With that in mind, he recruited some good folks to assist in his forthcoming great campaign - two Estonian noblemen, pushed out of their homeland by the Svjpod invaders. Their purpose was simple: in addition to providing other services at the Vilnius court, Rimvydas could campaign in the name of restoring their inheritance even if Bulgaria decides to blindside him and convert Svjpod before Lithuania could retake the lost Livonian provinces of Tukums and Riga. At least, that was the kynaz's intended use of Kahru Huremaa.


Kahru Huremaa, ex-Count of Tukums. He had a weak claim to the Estonian throne, but when this screencap was taken the lands of said throne was occupied by none other than the King of Svjpod himself.

Alo Revala was, asides from a commander-to-be, part of Rimvydas' greater Baltic strategy. With the Charter Office going strong, Lithuanian control of Estonia would further secure the nation's naval advantage in the Baltic.


In the end, I did not employ Alo as a commander because he has that sweet, sweet strong claim.

To the south, the Pecheneg Kugelid "Khagan", a deviation in the great feudalization blooming across the Land between the Seas, was soon targeted by Rimvydas. Back in his Duke of Volhynia days, he was an open opponent against the continued prominence of the Pechenegs in the south of the Land, fearing they would raze down the cities and castles then revert to their barbaric nomadic ways as soon as Vilnius could no longer suppress them with force. "Khagan" Kugel's occupation of the Duchy of Galich and split from the Land gave rise to much worry among the remaining Pecheneg vassals of the Land.

For most of the realm though, this Buddhist "Khagan" ruling over Christians was intolerable. They cheered for the holy war against the infidel Pechenegs.



Soon after departing from Vilnius to handle the campaign in person (Lithua kynazes were expected to personally go on campaigns, even if their ability to actually command isn't all that good, like Pukuveras), Rimvydas received news Gintare was pregnant with their second child. Both kynaz and soldiers rejoiced at the auspicious omen, and Rimvydas, who had lessons on the human body as part of his education, knew for sure the child was his.



7 months later, Lithuania had occupied all of Galich, marking a quick victory for the new kynaz.



After retiring to Vilnius for the winter, Rimvydas received news from Poznan. As if spurred on the kynaz's easy win, Duke Erdenis of Greater Poland marched forth in a holy war of his own against a certain King Sveinn. The foreign name brought a worried frown to Rimvydas' face as he looked after his newborn child and managed other kingly affairs, while waiting impatiently for a dispatched notary to bring him the relevant records.

The records confirmed Rimvydas' concerns. King Sveinn was none other than the current King of Svjpod, most recent in Lithuania's long line of arch-rivals! With Svienn having a larger army and a larger realm than Erdenis, Rimvydas did not expect his uncle-in-law to be able to win this war. The matter would, however, be to his advantage. If the brothers Algirdas and Erdenis decide to rise together against the throne, they might just succeed. Better have them crashing and wasting their power against foreign opponents.



Further analysis of the tactical situation however, showed something more worrying than Erdenis losing the war: he was winning it. Rimvydas was very concerned. If even his decadent nephew could be beating Svjpod, his father-in-law (and also his other nephew) must be doing even better if he was at war.

Speaking of which, there was also news from Minsk. Algirdas was indeed at war - with the BEEEP Bolghar Khagan. And like his brother, he was also winning. While Lithuania bringing the gospel onto the infidel steppe has always been a dream for Lithuanians (and the church, in particular), Rimvydas very much did not want his father-in-law and heir to be the one doing it. His own reign and lifespan may be dramatically cut short if Algirdas does manage to carve a chunk out of the Khaganate.

---

With Montvilas' reign spanning over 2 generations and Pukuveras' spanning 1, Rimvydas' reign may be the first where we see a succession crisis because he dies too soon. It would be very exciting if the Land broke up and his infant sons need to put the pieces back together...

 

[Midnite Duke]

Life is getting very interesting in Lithuania. I love the meeting of the nobles. Could we get more overviews when we have leader changes? Thank you for the updates.

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

Empire on Wings
Record XVI
Turns and Bends

​

As if the rise of his distant cousins was not bad enough, Rimvydas received one of the worst sorts of news a pious person could ever receive: the death of a pious and influential person. Count Beidras of Turov, after a career fighting various pagan raiders from the east, died and was beatified by Bishop Karatas. May he live on in the Kingdom of God and the hearts of all pious Lithuanians.

By the end of the year, startling news came from Prague, however - following the untimely death of Duke Algirdas II of Bohemia in single combat on the battlefield, his only son by Duchess Aldona of Silesia had become the new Duke of Bohemia and Minsk. Even more worrying for Vilnius was the succession of Silesia: Dravenis, barely an adult, was already on his way to become the most powerful vassal in the entire realm, with 2 duchies in his grasp and first in line for a third. Hopes for another son to dilute his inheritance was a non-option as Aldona was well past bearing age.



In comparison, the Polish front was going well from Rimvydas' point of view - with King Sveinn's various vassals called into the war, Erdenis was on the defensive now, his momentum pushing into the pagan lands now ran dry. A pity that he would probably wallow in misery for the rest of his life after his defeat, but if that was the price to pay to neutralize a threat to the throne, Vilnius was willing to pay.



With the affairs of his fief in a scramble, it was unsurprising that the war Dravenis inherited from his father was going poorly. The tides have turned on the steppe, but the losses the Khagan suffered were notable. Where Bohemia and Minsk failed, all of Lithuania might just succeed...

Less than two years later, Rimvydas' nightmare became a reality. His mother-in-law and vassal, Duchess Aldona of Silesia, died from compound health issues, but the cause was simplified to "severe stress". A talented strategist trained in different disciplines of war, her gender stopped her from achieving much in her life, as she was unable to fight as a commander in Lithuania's foreign campaigns. Mostly warring with her own vassals or her neighboring vassals of the crown, she left a debt and a whole duchy to her son, Duke Dravenis of Minsk and Bohemia.



Lord of 3 duchies and 8 counties, Dravenis, the most powerful landed lord in Lithuania next to the kynaz himself, was a diplomat by training, which he was at best a mediocre one. Appointed to a council position, the slothful little arse likes his kynaz, and Rimvydas does his best to accommodate him while plotting to break his power. Queen Gintara was a staunch supporter of these plots - apparently sister and brother don't like each other too much.



Sensing the Khagan's weakness, Rimvydas suddenly became very interested in launching a liberation of Chernigov of his own. His two adult sons serving in foreign realms and a whole bunch of his family in captivity. Khagan Mohammed "the Wise" looked ripe for a picking. See, when Montvilas left the ancestral maxim to his son, he also told Pukuveras why the wait for Military Organization 4 was important: it overcame the "home advantage" of the pagans, passed down through word of mouth and various rituals involving holy groves or arts of camel slaughter to mark locations in the steppe.

Khagan Mohammed was no pagan. He was an infidel of a far more common sort, and it would be very easy for the Lithuanian host to fight in his feudalizing realm.

Upon further consideration of the situation, however, Vilnius decided against a liberation. For many long years, Lithuania held half of the Duchy of Chernigov, and various powers to the east held the other half. Instead of creating a tributary that would suffer endlessly under the assaults of the nomads and bleed Lithuania too, Vilnius prudently set its sights on Chernigov the duchy. Holding the other half means a more defensible frontier, and less military expenditure. Good news for realm investment and the enrichment to the people.

Rimvydas was quick to add "more delicate attention applied to saving the lost souls of Chernigov" to the list of advantages of taking the duchy alone.

As if by divine providence, a certain King Radoslav prepared his realm for a conversion to Christianity. For the zealous Rimvydas, this was clearly a sign from God to spread the Christian faith far and wide. But first things first, and Vilnius prepared for a sponsorship to conversion.

(It would be really cool if there were preparation events to the mass baptism itself, and even cooler if players have to pay for some of the more powerful options, like starting construction on a church in a foreign realm, instead of just chucking money at the target realm after conversion. Speaking of which, I want to be on the receiving end of the chuck money events. Then I could apostatize and use the money to buy a merc army and pave the way for a pagan revival!)



Though Vilnius was mildly surprised when recon confirmed Radoslav was indeed king of the troubled realm of Novgorod, the sponsorship went ahead with prayers that the Novgorodian mission won't go sunny side up again. And so the fractious realm of Novgorod converted to the True Faith ... again. May their light not be snuffed out again in temporal conflicts.

(Total Points: 9???)

(Lithuania has gotten so big it may be better to split the realm for the sake of a good story. I can't focus on the things that actually win me more points.)

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

Due to technical mishaps, all progress on Empire on Wings has been consumed by the vagaries of computer. We now start again from ... Kernius, in the first year of his reign. Thank you for your long wait and I hope to update soon.

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

EOWR1
Another day, another destiny​

The date is 937 Feb 16. Kernius awakes, with a wound to his head because of a fierce deer he hunted.

He dreamt long and hard, of him rising to greatness as king of Lithuania, of his family prospering across the Land stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. All of that - gone. A dream. A dream that his current self looks very far from accomplishing.

The situation must be rectified. And soon ...

 

[HistoryDude]

Hmm... it's nice to see that this has returned...

Let's hope Kernius can gain glory this time 'round.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Dreams are nice, but dynastic heirs are needed. Thank you for returning.

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

I don't recall if I've mentioned this before, but the Montvilas who made such a mark on Empire on Wings, the Montvilas who is Kernius' half-brother ... is his maternal half-brother. Somehow, ~8 years before game start, Gimbutas, Kernius' brother, aged 30, impregnated his 55-year-old mother Lazdona, which led to the birth of Montvilas 7 years before game start. Like seriously, anyone with the Iron Century bookmark could pan to Lithuania and take a look. This is not me being a fucked-up player and marrying my brother and my mother.

 

[Idhrendur]

Unfortunate that it was just a dream, but maybe he can make reality all the better.

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

EOWR2
This never-ending road to Calvary​

Christians are relentless in spreading their faith - in this, all of pagandom agrees. Their reactions vary greatly, however. This time, in a good way for the proselyte.

The power of the Kingdom of Italy has reached Lithuania's doorstep through their common neighbor Ungarn. It is a worrying prospect, as Lithuania is more concept than entity at this point. The prospects of Hungary gobbling up the separate Lithuanian duchies exists, and by extension the imposing of Italian Papist bishops. Catching up on some distinct peculiarities in his prophetic dream, Kernius is dimly aware that he needs to avoid this particular future.

And so, he begins his war to unify the Lithuanian peoples. Because no self-respecting king would sponsor the "mass conversion" of a mere high chiefdom anyway. Like any other ruler with any other goal, Kernius needs more land and prestige to make himself matter more.

The war for Selija ended before summer was in full swing, lasting just over 3 months. Chief Treniota did not pose much of a challenge. In fact, he was merrily satisfied by his new post of Marshal of the Lithuanian High Chiefdom. But he is young, and that may cause some problems once Kernius the old man dies and Treniota's "Subjugated" opinion modifier (+40!) wears off in opposition to Kernius' successor.

Speaking of matters of succession, Kernius is despised by even his own darling daughter, and sometimes she hates him more than usual. A girl of 17 could cause little trouble to her father, unless your name happens to be King Jaehaerys Targaryen the Wise, but Kernius has 2 traits that make all his vassals dislike him. If Lithuania was under primogeniture succession, it would have been an easy thing to leave matters in the hands of a conciliating successor (which Gimbutas seems to be capable of being), but the problem is Lithuania practiced a more democratic form of succession.

And no matter how much Kernius backed Gimbutas, the Elders, including Lithuania's chief steward Zivinbudas, that actually did the electing, did not give in to the high chief's wishes. In fact, they actively sabotage the succession of the Lithua.

Enter Kiras Lithua. A young warrior and aggressive warrior, who was, while stubborn and cruel, charitable, a trait that garners goodwill even from Christians despite his pagan faith and practices. Wonder why the Elders that dislike and disapprove of Kernius choose such a capable successor to his fur-coated chiefing chair?

Because the boy was half dead from his injuries! The Elders would rather back him and not his father, who was quite less mangled!

And within the week Kiras died from his injuries. See? Elders! An incessant source of pain in the ass for Kernius! When will they cease?

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, the succession might be a problem.

Was that an ASOIAF Lore (House of the Dragon?) reference?

Will Lithuania end up converting or will they become a bastion of a (probably reformed) Romuva faith?

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

Well, the succession might be a problem.

So long as Eldership succession and Kernius with his present traits coexist, succession will ALWAYS be a problem.

Was that an ASOIAF Lore (House of the Dragon?) reference?

Naturally.

become a bastion of a (probably reformed) Romuva faith?

In keeping with the last playthrough, this option is out of the window.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Bad, Elders, Bad! Let the high chief pick his successor (so the game can continue). Thank you for updating

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

EOWR3
These men who seem to know my crime Will surely come a second time​

Kernius was not a good ruler. He did not care to actively participate in the day to day running of his realm, his capricious will decided matters far more often than sound judgement, he had absolutely no need of others to ruin his personal finances, and to top it all off he acted on "green dreams", which means dreams believed to be prophetic in nature.

He then believed, as an old man, he needed to be a better warrior. The Elders did not think much of it. Whatever Kernius did, he was still, in their collective opinion, a moronic ruler who should be deposed. At the very least, they would never let him get his way in succession issues.

(Speaking of which, does anyone know of any "Subjugation by duel" mods? I think it would be a rather interesting mod, seeing duelists with 100+ personal combat skill fighting all across regions that are still tribal. This may significantly delay any sort of political progress (feudalization and/or merchant republic-zation) though.)

Kernius, acting on his dim "green dream" memories, decided to deal with the "Duchy" of Zemigallia next. It was a titular High Chiefdom, the remnants of a greater realm including Riga, but then with only one county left in the hands of the Children of Dievas. Kernius had determined to ignore all the trouble that would come once he unites all of Lithuania, which includes Riga, by taking out and destroying the titular High Chiefdom title first.

Speaking of which, Kernius' uncle Chief Borkus, who also happened to be his heir before Kiras' maiming, had died. The High Chief has successfully outlived two of his Elder-approved heirs. Only time would tell how many more he could outlive.

By Dievas! Kernius was not making Chief Baise his spymaster. He was arbitrary, not imbecile.
(There is a +40 "Subjugated" opinion modifier in Baise's opinion of Kernius. And STILL his opinion of the High Chief is -100.)

He also destroyed the man's titular High Chiefdom. If a rebellion happens under his watch, Kernius would not be surprised to find Chief Baise a member.

Which Kernius really doesn't give a damn about as he sets off in a second conquest, this time to subjugate Livonia, leaving his brother Gimbutas with the two counties their uncle left and the thankless task of improving opinions towards Kernius. Not that Kernius actually cared that much about his public image (and with the death of 2 Lithua males the succession has narrowed down to Gimbutas and the brothers' cousin, Borkus' son and Kiras' father, so pleasing the Elders was then something that does not need to be given much worry), but he would try to keep his brother busy enough to not usurp his seat. Yet.

Interestingly, soon after Kernius declared his intent to subjugate Livonia, neighboring High Chief Karnak, a fellow Lithuanian, also declared his own war, putting power and justice back where they belong, in the hands of the people ... wait, wrong line, also declared his own war to occupy Tukums.

Which meant a rather sudden ganging up against Livonia of the 2 Lithuanian High Chiefs at the battle of Tukums Tribe.

By this serendipitous turn of events, Kernius even captured Uru, the High Chief of Livonia, bringing a quick end to the war. "Livonian" would become, unfortunately, a Lithuanian slang for countries and peoples who surrender really fast as time marches on.

As it stands, however, Kernius was not stopping with Livonia under his belt. He wouldn't stop until he unifies all of Lithuania!

(But Osel isn't de jure Lithuania, is it?)

(It's a f-king island! Islands are good! Venice, Socotra, Sri Lanka!)

As it stands, Kernius was still quite an arbitrary man.

Not too long after the successful conquest of Osel, Kernius, in a bid to further shore up his finances, led a raid into Alemmania, far from home. Unfortunately, he suddenly started coughing, which the man considered no big deal ... at first.

However, coalescing trouble soon confirmed the malaise to be something much worse - with the hard nub's position confirmed, the shaman-doctor on campaign with Kernius told the High Chief he was diagnosed with cancer.

As news spread of Kernius' sickness, the Elders, long displeased with his mismanagement of the realm and bellicose policies, chose their champion and persuaded him to act. They truly did not worry about civil war, should Kernius die, between the newly subjugated chiefs and the house of Lithua. Their only true concern was that Kernius had lasted against all odds for 5 years on the seat of High Chief of Lithuania, and the crime of such a man being their ruler must end.
(The Elders cannot, in fact, urge a claimant to trigger the duel for title event. It would be fun if they could, and the player's got a combination of hated ruler + Eldership succession + big family with many strong claims. Sure would be fun fighting all the claimants the Elders send against you like some twisted RPG boss fight.)
So it was Gimbutas, a man with +100 opinion towards his elder brother and High Chief, and a man Kernius entrusted with the image of the realm, raised his claim and sword against the elder brother he loves, and who also loves him back ...

 

[HistoryDude]

Kernius does appear rather mad, doesn't he?

It's a shame that Kernius might fight his friend and brother...

So the Livonians are viewed in this world's Lithuania like the French are in OTL's America (unjustly but whatever)?

The gods seem to be on Kernius's side. Will he keep their favor?

 

[Midnite Duke]

I love you Bro, hopefully to your death since I want your Job! Thanks for updating

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

EOWR4
Lithuania Orthodoxia Reduxia​

From a family-dynastic standpoint, Gimbutas' choice of a duel actually makes a lot of sense. As both brothers remained unmarried, the Chief of Deltuva remained the only one of the two brothers who had any children at all. With him as High Chief, the line of succession could pass on to a next generation, though it would not be really stable, as his brother-son Montvilas was not yet an adult.

From a relationship standpoint, it did not make sense. At all. The brothers had an excellent relationship, and both were powerful enough to suppress the restless chiefs that may want to egg them against each other into an internecine feud. For all his ambition and envy, Gimbutas was granted their late uncle's chiefdoms, so at the moment he liked his brother very much and was a powerful lord in his own right.

From Kernius' standpoint, his arbitrary self ignored the above two standpoints and believes his brother to be an ungrateful motherfucker.

Nevertheless, the die was cast. The brothers began the duel, which soon demonstrates how idiotic Gimbutas' decision was from a combat standpoint. For all his faults, Kernius was a seasoned veteran of many battles, shedding blood from the land of the Germans all the way to Estonia. With so much combat experience under his belt, Kernius easily bested his brother in one-on-one combat, and could have killed him on the spot.

However, watching his brother bleeding out on the ground gave Kernius pause to consider things more thoroughly. There was a sore lack of Lithua men, and his brother was in prime age for a lord. Obviously, killing him would greatly destabilize succession and his own family. Besides, Kernius had need of his brother's loyalty and talents in the next step of his plans for the land.

For all his rage and disappointment, Kernius decides to set it all aside, and let peace have a chance, magnanimously sparing his brother.

As Gimbutas kneel before him in submission, however, the foul arbitrary impulses buried deep within Kernius were roused, and he was really, really tempted to kill him, to make an example out of his treachery, to demonstrate not even his closest kin were able to get away with betrayal. Still, Kernius was not merely acting according to his impulses, and the warnings he caught from his green dreams prevailed.

Soon after sparing his brother, Kernius dispatched him to Odessa, while he continued subjugating the land.

(As an arbitrary character, Kernius could kill his brother nonetheless, IIRC. It's just in-game, with 19 diplo, Gimbutas was too useful to do without)

Before long and wounding himself on the front lines again, Kernius had subjugated all of Lithuania under his banner, which for some reason had a very Christian banner for a pagan realm. Not that Kernius found it strange though, he had already seen it fluttering from Skalovia to Crimea first-hand in his green dreams.

(IIRC "the White Rider of Lithuania" is also Saint George the Hieromartyr)

There was one more war that had to be fought. While kynaz Kernius was busy unifying Lithuania, Gimbutas was dispatched to Odessa in order to fabricate a claim on the province. As it turned out, it was surprisingly easy for a skilled diplomat to claim a county emptied by nomads. As kynaz of Lithuania, Kernius soon gained further respect from his vassal(?) chiefs by fighting on the frontlines, getting wounded, and still defeating the Pechenegs to seize Odessa for Lithuania.

As Kernius was rather determined to take back the power to direct his own succession, Odessa would play an important part in his plan. But first, he had to organize Lithuania into a more cohesive realm. He had just enough votes to get his will done.

(I set up Chief Baise as my advisor to placate his wish for a council seat. Like I said, no way that man is being my spymaster, and he isn't going to get any post asides from advisor for really obvious reasons.)

Kernius had gained more power to directly sway the faith of the chiefs he subjugated. Which naturally meant he would very much want to turn to a faith where the ruler has a greater say in ... just about anything really. Looking around, he saw kings being humbled by the pope, and the Roman Basileus humbling the Ecumenical Patriarch. Even if he had no green dreams, for a ruler plagued by a succession crisis due to religious elders sabotaging him all his life, Kernius was pretty sure which faith he wanted to turn to.

Taking Odessa, naturally, was to make contact with the greatest city in the accessible world possible.

The well-read, scholarly and diligent Constantine Makedon was seeking for ways to promote his piety and the light of the Orthodox faith. Upon receiving the Lithuanian envoy dispatched from Odessa, he was pleasantly surprised by a barbarian nation seeking to convert. His delighted reply, agreeing to organize the admission of another brother-nation into the catholic, orthodox faith was soon relayed to Vilnius.

Vilnius, on the other hand, did not share the enthusiasm of the Basileus. Most of the chiefs of the realm were uneasy about abandoning Dievas, and the Elders were vehemently opposed to Kernius' blatant power grab. But Kernius had his bannermen on his side, and that was a force enough to silence any high chief who would attempt to defy his will. Even if their kynaz could not match their combined power, no high chief was willing to sacrifice their own household troops to topple their liege's unpopular decision and reign.

Kernius had seen his younger brother Montvilas lead Lithuanians into the cold river bath in his green dreams, so he went through the ceremony with more grace than most of his fellow chiefs. Still, as a cancer patient, it remains questionable whether Kernius should have taken part in the ceremony in person at all.

Health concerns aside, the day 942 March 14th marks a great step forward for Kernius, opening him up to an easier path of feudalization and controlling his own destiny, building a nation of actions not words, ruled by strength not committee. It also liberates him to deal with more mundane concerns, like siring children, an interestingly expanded prospect as Bulgarian, Georgian, Pecheneg and Roman wives were, as part of the Orthodox Commonwealth, now all open to his overtures.

In the meantime, Kernius prepared to push through the final stages of feudalization, transforming Lithuania from a collection of tribes in the Baltic Forest into an actual state. Kernius did not believe he would see Lithuania become a power to match Rhomania in his lifetime, but he would try his damned best to lay the necessary groundworks for future Lithua generations.

Among these was the office of the Gotland Charter ... screw that, Kernius planned to set up Gotland as a vassal merchant republic, but he isn't exactly overflowing with cash to make that happen. In the meantime, he held it as part of his personal domains.

Conversion had gone fairly well amongst his subordinate chiefs. With the exception of Skalovia, all other Lithuanian chiefdoms have converted to their overlord's new faith, granting further stability throughout the land. Among other things, Kernius was finally free of the Elders causing nuisances behind his back, as it was now Christian missionaries and not priests and priestesses of Dievas who managed his image to the common Lithuanian.

Of course, such services did not come without a price, and it was a price that could not always be paid in gold. Patriarch Maurice, the Greek priest Constantine dispatched to see the conversion of Lithuania through, insisted Kernius should make it clear he wanted a complete break from the old ways, to symbolize how he was born again in the faith of God. After some deliberation, Kernius weighed his diplomatic situation against his pride, and accepted his head priest's suggestion.

To symbolize the newfound link between Rhomania and Lithuania, Kernius honored his conversion patron by changing his name to the name of Constantine's young son Romanos. If Constantinople registered what Kernius was trying to do, it did not really care enough to send a message signaling their own goodwill in return.

(A funny coincidence. Historically, Constantine VII did have a son called Romanos, who went on to become Romanos II of the Roman Empire.)

 

[Midnite Duke]

Thank you for the update. Attachments not working for me. To the glory of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church.

 

[FondMemberofSociety]

Attachments not working for me.

Let me see if I could do something about that.