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Ferreira

Second Lieutenant
77 Badges
Dec 8, 2013
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Welcome all to my secondfirst AAR!
After some time struggling to come up with actual stuff for my actual first AAR in Victoria II, I decided to throw that one out, at least for the time being, as I simply was not to comfortable with my own writing about the period, which in turn demotivated me from playing the game to have stuff to write about, which in turn, made me play Crusader Kings II instead of Vicky. So here we are.

We'll be following the Rurikovich dynasty from its roots, in the 9th century, starting with Rurik himself. Much of what I wrote in my previous AAR thread is still true. I'm no expert to the period, and although I research a lot beforehand, don't take it all as true. The period, at least searching in English, is not super well documented, which aggravates the problem a bit.

I'll probably be sticking to a narrative approach, though there's a good chance some history book chapters will also be added, as specials, maybe between each ruler, documenting their advanced and whatnot. Still to be decided, and I also accept suggestions.

For mods, I chose HIP with everything enabled and with the Trade++ submod, though I'm still testing it and might take it off for balancing and performance issues(it seriously slows down my game). Other than that, I got Summercat's Bloodline Mod and In Heaven's Cartographic map, with all expansions except Sunset Invasion enabled.

Once again, English is not my first language, so you spot any mistakes, please let me know.

And that's about it, enjoy and don't forget to tell me what you think! Feedback is greatly appreciated.
 
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Prologue.

Bordering the vast steppe region once ruled by the mighty Khazars, the peoples that will one day unite and be called Russians, are, in the year 867, divided and extremely hostile. In fact, the tribes of the region would hardly fit in the same collective, but that is to be said about most other groups during this period. Severians, Radimichs, Krivichs, Degovichs, Volhynians, Drevlians, Vyatichis, and the tribes under Norse rulers, would be much better described, at this time, as single cultural entities, vying for power over key rivers, of extreme significance both for trade and military purposes. That is not to say other peoples were not present. In fact, the Khazars, even after what could be described as a fall from glory, still maintained control over a good portion of those lands, in the form of tributary estates. From their capital in Itil, at the end of the Volga river, the now Jewish people still control much of the trade and land, though, since a couple of decades past, the Norse started wrestling for authority.


Evidence of the ever-growing Scandinavian influence over the region lie in the rise to power seen by the Varangians. The semi-legendary Rurik, after years of campaigning up and down the rivers, on a true display of force, settled, with his host, on Staraya Ladoga and created the settlement of Holmgardr, laying the foundations of what would become, in a distant future, Novgorod. Other instance would be Dyre and Haskuldr, also Norse rulers, on what would become Kiev, before then under Magyar, and then Khazar rule, conquered the city without the approval of Rurik. While they co-"ruled" the city, Khazar influence was still strong, as the city was used by eastern tribes to pay tribute. The Varangians failed to push the Khazarians out of their domain, and the Jewish, other than collecting money from their tributary states, also still controlled most of the trade happening in the city.

Rurik's lands, like the region as a whole, are not homogeneous. To the east, he exerts control over four different, but culturally close, Finno-Ugric tribes, who seem, with the exception of one, to accept their position under his rule. To the south and west of his initial settlement, the Finno-Ugric tribes mix with East Slavs, creating an unstable situation, and both groups tend to oppose themselves even while having the same goal: undermining Rurik's position. To worsen the situation, these tribes all have their own pantheons, worship gods different to those of the ruling elite, Rurik and the Varangians. All of this culminates in tremulous, uncertain borders, mostly due to conflicts and raids between the many tribes under the Scandinavian ruler.

The situation outside of Holmgardr seems to upscale the one inside of it. With religious and cultural enemies all around, skirmishes and raids are common occurrence, as many trade routes pass inside of Rurik's lands. To the north and east, a plethora of Finno-Ugric tribes keep the Rus', and even each other, on their feet, mostly halting their raids only when winter comes. To the west, Baltic tribes are also numerous, but usually keep their fighting between themselves or against Norsemen, who still choose it as a raiding destination every other year. To the south, the rest of the tribes that could, and in the future will, be called Russian, lie, some still under the authority of the Khazars. Raiding is not as common as it is to the east and north, as they tend, as does Rurik and his people, to focus on trading with the Norse, Jewish, Orthodox, and even Muslims, far down the Volga river and Caspian Sea.

And, although the Rus' at the time could hardly be described as having powerful military, great fleets and expeditions were periodically created, following the vast rivers to raid and trade, going as far as the Black and Caspian Seas. They controlled strategically important portages between rivers, and would eventually build settlements used for trade and the wintering of raiding parties, where main rivers meet the Black Sea. Contact with the people of the Byzantine Empire and Muslim emirates became constant, explaining much of the cultural development seen later on.

But Rurik's legacy was still in its infancy. With ambitions of expanding his rule down south, the Norseman faced an unpredictable future, even if his alliance to the also legendary Björn Ironside, son to one Ragar Lodbrok, Jarl of the powerful lands of Svitjod, and father-in-law to the Holmgard ruler, was secure. Struggling to keep the tribes on his domain under control, over-expansion would be unwise, to say the least. But he had a plan. The Khazars, beyond some of the tribes, still control most of the rivers, and with them, their trade routes, denying access to most of them or charging unacceptable fees to the Rus'. If he was to show the tribes he could counter the Khazar influence and power, undermine their authority in the region, surely they would accept Rurik's leadership, pay their tributes to him instead. With all the differences in culture and religion, however, it would definitely be a hard task, verging the impossible. The blood of many would still have to be spilled. But for a man with such vision, such ambition, not even all the disadvantages in the world would be enough to stop him.


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Realms and Tribes, c. 870.


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Cultures, c. 870.

 
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Chapter I.

Rurik stood tall as he contemplated the now frozen Lake Ilmen, other than the soothing sound of his own respiration, followed by the visible steam, in silence. A thick layer of snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see, but the cold was no match to the Norsemen and Slavic peoples living in the settlement, and, although trade became a bit scarce during the cold winter months, life went on. Swallowed in his simplistic warm clothes, he, as usual, took some time alone to clear his thoughts, to think whatever situation he was in through, and, now more than ever, he needed that time, for he faced quite a predicament.

Some of the Finno-Ugric and Slavic tribes under his rule were but nominal affairs, and grew unruly by the day, as they did every time tribute was needed. It had been only a couple of weeks since Rurik returned from his travels, accompanied by his Druzhina, a close group of well-trained warriors and councilors, to collect said tribute, and whispers of the Norsemen weakening, whispers of independence, could be heard along the way. In fact, these travels to collect coin were supposed to be displays of force, to keep the ever so ambitious clans in check, but Rurik's Druzhina had seen better days. Although well-prepared, trained and equipped warriors, their numbers dwindled after the group settled in Staraya Ladoga, as service was voluntary, and one wanting to leave the military and live their lives some other way, would not have such decision held against them. Other than that, the constant raids from Finno-Ugric tribes to the north and east slowly wore the force down, as both Rurik and his men were reluctant in accepting local warriors to their ranks.

Realizing their ruler's relative weakness, which was possibly made to be a more serious issue than it truly was by rumors and gossip, the clans became agitated. One of the tribes, closely related to the Karjalainen to the north, past the Svir river, was the first to rise up, swearing allegiance to Lemmäs, High Chief of the clans of the frigid lands of Olonec. Although Rurik still enjoyed support from some of the Tudozerskij clans, the majority had defected. Meanwhile, to the south and west, rumor had it the clans were also organizing against the Norseman, but, as their population was culturally divided, Rurik hoped he still had time before any serious issues.

But in the end, that was the problem he could not, for the life of him, solve. The Holmgard settlement had always been a stable region, even though it still held a majority of Slavs. His presence, or rather, that of his host, made not only of his Druzhina and retainers, but also of his extensive river fleet, secured his authority over the lands. And that seemed to be the main problem, he could not yet establish meaningful presence inside of the clans' territories. Even inside the borders, the trade and rivers were disputed between those who should be allies, and instability reigned supreme. How could he, who did not even properly speak their language, nor had the same habits or rituals, rule over such arrogant men. Rurik did have some ideas, but that was still not the moment to experiment with them, for he simply lacked in strength.

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His deep and worried thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a courier: news had arrived from Tudozerskij. Rurik quickly made his way to the center of the, at that time of day, bustling settlement, entering his simplistic, rustic great hall, that now seemed to attract more and more people, as they caught wind of the recent arrival. His entrance silenced the many voices of his councilors and close retainers, some worried, some eager, all contemplating what the news could be, and already awaiting for their rulers arrival. Taking his wooden and imposing seat at the middle of the large room, for some seconds all that could be heard was the outside wintery wind clashing with the warm sounds of the fireplaces inside. Taking a deep breath after examining and quietly greeting some of the figures in the room, a discrete hand movement allowed the messenger to take the floor.

"Khagan, I come with news from your people in Tudozerskij. Chiefs Vartia and Reko will try to seize power over the opposing clans, and are readying their hosts."

The room once again exploded in conversation, each one wanting to give their own opinion and insight on the matter. Rurik soon roared a command from his central position, and silence was installed once again. The messenger continued, this part with his voice especially troubled, concerned.

"Not only Lemmäs support their host, but also High Chief Nuyanza, from the Ingria clans."

This time, when he finished his sentence, silence was kept. The inclusion of a second High Chief supporting the opposing factions changed everything. Surely other dissident clans would see that as an opportunity, would see that they were not alone against the Norsemen rule, and other situations like the current one would surely happen if Rurik was to accept their demands, was to lose against these Finno-Ugric. It would be the excuse the others needed, and that could not happen. That, he could not allow.

Concerned eyes gazed over the crowd, as the Norseman tried to find a way out. But there was none, bloodshed was the only possibility. Suppressing his dark thoughts, extreme concern and obvious hesitation, Rurik stood up proud to those around him. However heavy his heart was, the words came out, met with loud cheers and excitement.

"Assemble our men, we are going to war!"

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Well, this looks like it's off to an intriguing start. Let's see if Rurik can unite the surrounding tribes into an enduring kingdom of all the Rus'!
On my first test run he died fighting his first battle. Let's hope that incident doesn't repeat itself.

nice writing
Thanks! More to come, though next week will be a pretty busy one for me.
 
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Chapter II.

On the end of January, Rus' forces were gathered on Aldeijuborg, or, as the Slavic called, Ladoga. The encampment stood on a hill, between two rivers that flowed to the lake just north of there, and had already withstood the harsh winter for a couple of weeks, waiting for the rest of the tribes' men to arrive. Rurik's army stood in the way of the Ingria forces, the reason he chose that particular position almost a month earlier, taking a great risk as, at the time, he did not lead a substantial number of warriors. He hoped the threat of fighting an uphill battle would suffice for the time being, as more and more troops arrived. And it did.

Under High Chief Nuyanza, the Ingrians advanced to Holmgard, trying to circumvent Rurik's defenses, only to be swiftly intercepted. Battle took place around Peryn, the sole formal temple to the Norse gods inside of the Khagan's lands, to the west of the Volkov river, near the border. It was a slaughter. In less than a day, the Ingrians, heavily outnumbered, broke, with more than half of their army dead. The ones who lived and did not surrender, were chased back to their lands, where a small party of Holmgardians made sure to leave a strong enough message.

Meanwhile, Lemmäs' troops had assembled and marched on Tudozerskij, where they grouped up with the rebellious bunch and prepared to face the much stronger foe. Victory was again at hand, and the result was the same as with Ingria's petty army. The Finno-Ugric tribes were no match to the Varangian shieldwall.

As with the Ingrians, the dissenting Tudozerskij tribes should be punished accordingly. The death of their leaders signaled a shift of power, the ascension of Rurik supporters to power in the region. Stability was finally restored to the north, at least until the Finns had enough forces to start raiding again, that is, but to think the realm would be at peace was foolish, at the least naive.

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Back to Holmgardr, Rurik hoped to take advantage of the crushing victory the almost year long campaign brought him, hoped it would warrant him some more power while keeping the other tribes at bay, at least for the time being. In agreement with his most loyal councilors, the Khagan decided it was time to finally push for more tribal organization, coordination between the tribes. Of course, with feelings of independence at an all time high, such change would not go unnoticed. Once again, rumors of war started appearing, only to be confirmed by Dan, Rurik's spymaster, a few weeks later.

Three chiefs, Sviatopolk, from the Slavic tribes of Toporec, Dobrozhir, from the Pskovian Finno-Ugrics, and their leader, Svetozar of Luki, felt threatened by the new laws and taxes, fearing a decrease in autonomy, something they, as tribal chiefs of their people, could not allow. It was comic, Rurik thought, that a couple of months ago these three tribes would never agree with each other, let alone collaborate. In fact, some two or three winters past, had spilled enough blood between them that the Lovat could run red.

"Seems your push for organization is working, father..." - Helgi, Rurik's first born remarked - "only it is against your rule."

The comment had the small group in laughter for a good while, breaking the tense talks in the small chamber used for council meetings. It was most that the joke came from Helgi, an otherwise shy, although bright, young man, that gave it such an impact. Not a day past his twentieth autumn, the Marshal was not so good on a diplomatic setting. However, his shyness seemed to go away on the field of battle, giving space for a commander, with his quick thought and ease to adapt, who could rival Rurik himself. Although a bastard from a long past and somewhat forbidden love back in his homeland, Rurik treated Helgi as a legitimate son, and planned to give most, if not all, of his property and titles to him when he passed. A mirror image of his father, save for some crucial wisdom and patience, the heir was groomed to rule since birth, and a more proud parent could not be found that side of the Volga, even if the Khagan tried to not demonstrate his full affection. Rurik knew his legacy was in good hands.

The rest of the councilmen were notorious for their abilities. It would be hard to find a more capable entourage among the Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples. Susi of the unimportant Bjarmit clan, served as a just and diligent chancellor, one with great abilities in the field of diplomacy, and took pride on his position, though not many could blame him. As a Steward, taking care of the financial and governmental side of things, the loyal and equally skilled Chief Radoslav of Torzhok. For Spymaster, Rurik employed Dan, who, seemingly with no great effort, led an intricate web of informants, spies and even assassins along the principal trade routes of Easter Europe, stretching all the way to Asia Minor, the Byzantine Empire, and even the Muslim states of Persia. He had proven competent time and again, and was a key part of the diplomatic and economic resistance against the Khazars. Finally, there was Vagn, Goði of the only Asatrú temple in Rurik's lands, and responsible for all things religious, although, despite his knowledge, was rumored to have a suspicious character.

But a second young face was also present in most of the councils: Ingjerðr, the current and first wife of Rurik, a descendant of Ragnar Loðbrok himself. While securing a key alliance to the af Munsö dynasty, the powerful rulers of Svitjod, the woman, at the time having the same age as Helgi, acted as regent on the ruler's absence and took part at the councils, much to the distaste of the Slavic and Finno-Ugric. While some women acted as commanders or warriors, and took on key positions in the Norse culture, there was no such thing, as far as Rurik could tell, with the Slavic. But he insisted, and one would be hard-pressed to find a soul brave enough to contest her presence. Though she knew enough about the field of battle, was nothing special as a ruler. And that is not to talk about her character. Greedy and arbitrary, it would not take long for her to ruin the lands of the Rus', or at least that was what most thought, because to say such a thing in front of her you would then have to face her wroth. However, even with all her flaws, Rurik seemed to take a liking for the woman, and her for him, despite the age difference.

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But there was a time and place to reminiscence about current and past loves or wonder what the future held, and that place was not a council of war. The discussion resumed while the council awaited for the arrival of some of the tribal chiefs still loyal to Rurik, as Svetozar would surely declare his intentions to do war, as tradition demanded, soon, would the Khagan not allow for his and the other dissident chiefs independence. And indeed, at the end of March, 868, war was declared.

The Holmgardians marched against their own once more.

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A troublesome development, that independence revolt. Truly forging a lasting empire is going to be difficult with all these fractious tribal leaders constantly stirring up trouble. Fortunately, Rurik appears to have some very capable assistants there, and the prestige and respect from beating the rebels will likely go a long way to encouraging the rest to stay loyal -- provided nothing unfortunate happens to Rurik himself, of course.

On another note, I do want to say that, if you hadn't said that English wasn't your native language in your first post, I never would have guessed. Keep up the good work! :)
 
You've no idea how great it is to hear that! Thanks a lot!
I'm with specialist. In the real world I tutor people at my campus on writing. I do not see any issues with your writing that are common of English Second Language ESL. Those typically being articles, when to use a or the, and the different forms of the word be, like been; am; was; is; are; and were. So good writing :)
 
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I'm with specialist. In the real world I tutor people at my campus on writing. I do not see any issues with your writing that are common of English Second Language ESL. Those typically being articles, when to use a or the, and the different forms of the word be, like been; am; was; is; are; and were. So good writing :)
I still struggle a lot with vocabulary, need some more fancy words.
And I said before, it's amazingly gratifying to know that, so thanks a lot! Also for following the AAR so far.

Glad to hear! Hope you enjoy it. :)

Also, I'm sorry for the lack of updates, this is a pretty busy time for me, and I'll probably have to restart the game anyways, as HIP is updating and it won't be save compatible. Still debating whether or not to update(I'd prefer to), but that means no chapters for a while.
 
I might revisit this someday, as this period/area really interests me, but this particular AAR is unfortunately dead. I apologize for the people who followed it. Even though it was great fun to write, a degree in Comp Sci takes up a lot of one's time. Who would have thought, huh?

However, I may or may not have something new cooking, this time focused on the ASOIAF universe to mix things up a bit. If you don't mind the fantasy setting and enjoyed this, chances are you'll also like that. Not going to promise anything yet, though, as next month I'll have my finals. We'll see.

Thanks again to all of you who commented, genuinely feels great knowing people enjoyed my writing. :rolleyes: