The Eighth Book of the Chronicles of Gregorias
OOC
The draft wafted around the corridors, hugging close to the floor. As Brother Ivan tramped along the corridor, unconcerned at the reproving looks he received from others of the brethren, it chilled his feet. He was still wearing his cloak, the furs still frostbitten from the cold. The Monastery was beautiful in winter, but it was also bleak, and no place for a sick man. The servant at the cell’s door nodded as he approached. Dmitri was mute, but the monastery took in all like he that it could.
“How is he?” Ivan asked softly, surprisingly softly when his thick build and somewhat fierce looks were taken into account. Dmitri made a motion with his hand, so-so. “Is he awake?” Dmitri nodded, and showed Ivan that the door was slightly open. Nodding to the mute Ivan slipped inside.
“Come to see an old man croak?” came a voice from a huddled form hunched over a writing desk. The cell was dark. Only one candle gave light. This was followed by a series of wracking coughs.
Ivan quickly stood beside his master. “You should be in bed,” he commented.
“No!” Andrei whispered back fiercely. “I can still see, I will still write.” Ivan sighed. He and his master had already had this debate half a dozen times or more in the last month. His master was sometimes a weak man, but never about this, his duty. He peered over his shoulder, and saw what he was writing: an account of the life of Gregorias. That made sense. Andrei was in a perpetual fear that the deeds of that worthy would be forgotten.
Ivan for a moment thought back to his few memories of the old man. He only knew Gregorias for a year or two at the end of his life, and his recollections were dimmed by his youth and by time. He remembered a sense of sorrow that had seemed to cling to the old Greek, twined with a sort of wonder at this, his new land. To listen to Andrei you would think that no one in Russia knew how to read or write before Gregorias arrived.
His introspection was abruptly ended when a vice-like grip squeezed his arm. Startled, he looked to see Andrei had seized his arm and was holding it like the salvation of his soul depended on it. “You will complete my work?” the old Chronicler requested, demanded. In the old man’s eyes Ivan saw a fear, and he found he could feel it, taste it. As if that the touch that was even now turning his hand numb had communicated Andrei’s final desires in a most palpable way.
Ivan found that he could only nod. He put his hand atop Andrei’s. “Master, I will.” In that moment Andrei looked at peace, and then he fell, gently, ever so slowly, into Ivan’s arms.
___
This book is the first that we have to be written by Brother Ivan. We know next to nothing of Ivan’s parentage, and it is more than likely that he was a noble bastard committed to the Monastery from a young age. He seems, strangely enough, to have formed a correspondence with Ivan IV, though this is only hinted at in other works. Brother Ivan also completed a life of Gregorias that was heavily used in the later hagiographies of that man’s life
It is with a heavy heart that I, Brother Ivan, do begin this, the Eighth Book of the Chronicles of Gregorias, who came to us from Tsargrad. For Brother Andrei, who formerly wrote these books died during the course of what I here tell, for the Office of Chronicler has fallen to me, and I trust that through the Grace of God I may prove worthy to record.
In the summer of the Year or Our Lord 1467 the Ottoman Sultan forced the Emperor to make humiliated peace, and hand over the city of Athens to the ungrateful heathen. So the city that had lightened the world long before the birth of Christ, and the streets where Paul himself had preached, fell into darkness.
This and other occurrences made the Grand-Duke certain that the world was becoming a more dangerous place, and he now determined that certain practises of the army had to be reformed and refined. Henceforth the boyars were not to be responsible for the raising of troops in each district. This function was to be given to the voevode of each place, though he confirmed in charter that the boyars were still to be the commanders of the troops.
Greater Reform of the Army (Land +1 Land Investments +500 Gold –100)
Throughout the Year of Our Lord 1468 the boyars grumbled at the new reforms. Why were they needed, they asked. Had not the practises of the past served the Grand-Duchy well for his father and grand-father? These mutterings were not of a public nature, but I noticed that several noble scions would pray for impolitic things at the altar when they came seeking the support of the saints.
At the start of winter Father Mikhail contracted a chill from the early snows. This debilitated him with uncharacteristic speed, and he died on the third day of the Season of Advent. He will be sorely missed amongst us, for though he was not a great man he was good one, and cared for his flock as does any true Shepard. His successor was Pyotr, called the Tall, for this he was, standing at over six and a half feet. He was a soldier in his youth, turning to service of Christ after the Shemiaka wars.
In the Year of Our Lord 1469 word began to circulate of a conspiracy against the Grand-Duke, from certain boyars who were already aggrieved. In the summer of that year a number of them presented him with a petition. When the Grand-Duke heard the purpose of their audience he commanded them give the petition to a functionary, and they departed from his presence. Days past, and then weeks, and no answer was heard. One or two of the most headstrong sought a new audience, and demanded answer, but the Grand-Duke did not answer their queries.
Ignore their Demands IN Nobles demand recovery of former rights(RR+2 for 24 months)
Some of these boyars then proved false their pledges of loyalty, gathered some troops to them. They ambushed a portion of soldiers of the Grand-Duchy outside Tula, and demanded that the city open its gates. The voevode refused, and before long the main army from Welikia hunted the rebels down, and killed every one.
Although very few boyars took part in this rebellion, many were sympathetic, and acted like crows. The Grand-Duke was much angered, and claimed that the boyars were obstacles to the safety of the state, and that no boyar could be allowed to hold the Grand-Dukes to ransom by not obeying a military summons. Thus far some fair portion of the boyars did not answer such summons, even though it was upon them that the security of the state rested. Thus is was the Grand-Duke initiated further reform that winter, and he made the Decree of Crows he extracted the price the boyars were to pay for their collective treachery. Each boyar was to provide land for the Grand-Duke to disperse to men trained to be cavalrymen. This land and the workers on it would support the cavalry, and allow them to be always ready for the realm’s defence.
In instigating this decree the Grand-Duke was not unjust. For those families who had never shirked their duties he guaranteed position for relatively small amounts of land, and he lauded them with praises and honours. The burden of these laws fell upon those who were deficient in their duty, and it was made plain that any further dissension would be severely punished.
Let us Reform IN The Pomestija Reform (Aristocracy +1 Centralisation –1 Quality +1 Land Investments +800 10000 Cavalry in Tver 5000 Cavalry in Ryazan)
As these reforms were implemented other counsels were heard that perhaps the armies of Muscowy might launch some assault, either towards the Tartar or Lithuanian. I am told that these discussions became quite heated, and many thought that the Grand-Duke was planning such a war. He was not, for he rebuked some of those who counselled such in open court. ‘Do you want the name of Russia to be sullied?’ he asked one of the fiercest, for the Grand-Duke knows the importance of a country’s reputation.
Hold them back IN Nobles demand expansion (Stability –1 Aristocracy +1)
Even so some were not reconciled, and these conspired together, and with the starotsa of the Polish garrison at Kursk. This Pole, who disobeyed his King and almost brought open war between the two lands allowed these boyars to cross he lands, and provisioned them, so that they came upon the garrison of Belgorod unawares as they exercised their horses before the onset of winter made such activities unwise. Alas, through this trickery the entire army of Muscowy was slaughtered.
Upon hearing this had taken place the Grand-Duke immediately sent an envoy to the Polish King. Alas, this worthy had since departed his realm on a pilgrimage to Rome, and it was to be some time before news was heard of him. Meanwhile the boyars were joined by others in support of their cause, and the city of Belgorod fell to them. The produced one among their number and proclaimed him Duke, but even this pathetic excuse for a ruler they treated with jeers sp unruly had they become. So they deposed him, and proclaimed a republic, but the citizens of Belgorod were later to talk of a tyranny, for there was no benevolence in their mean spirits.
In the winter of that year, the Year of Our Lord 1470 the Grand-Duke completed these reforms, now training it to make the best use of the extra cavalry his army now possessed. During this time the Grand-Duke became particularly frustrated at the slow pace of diplomacy, and since he was patron of our house he decided it was time that he visited us on our mountain. It was not the first time that the Grand-Duke had visited us, but it was the first since his father was blinded. He complimented us on all our work, and he was especially interested in the work of my master and myself in our roles as chroniclers. He gave us a charter whereby certain monies would be given to us each year for the acquisition of paper, inks, and quills. For this gift we honoured him highly, for there can be no doubt of the faith of the Grand-Duke. He also seemed in better humour when he left than when he arrived, thus proving that the Lord offers surcease to the faithful even here on Earth.
Offence +1
This winter also saw the death of the Archbishop of Novgorod, the holy Iona. This holy man had always been a cause for peace in his realm, and through his council the City of Novgorod avoided many of the arguments that republican government often result. The removal of this restraint by old age caused much strife in the realm of Novgorod, as old scores were settled and new feuds prosecuted. The Grand-Duke sent a force of men to assist the forces of law and order who were trying to keep such debilitating disruption to a minimum, who included of course Timofey Ivanovich.
The whole of the next year, the Year of Our Lord 1471, the entire realm waited for the return of the envoy the Grand-Duke had sent to the Polish King. In the winter of that year the reply at last arrived. The Polish King, mindful of the respect with which he had been treated in the past, and to further the friendship between the two realms had agreed to the request of the Grand-Duke. This was that the starotsa of Kursk was to be arrested, and that the army of Muscowy be allowed to march across the province to subdue the rebels in Belgorod.
When this army arrived the following spring it became apparent that the rebels were being aided by Tartars of the Horde. Shortly after this a message arrived from the Tartar Khan, who demanded that the Grand-Duke pay him tribute. The Grand-Duke ridiculed the Tartar Khan in his reply, but still there was disquiet along the border for many months. This was followed by a similar demand from the Tartars of Kazan, but this the Grand-Duke ignored.
Diplomatic Insult (CB vs GH KAZ for 12 months)
At this time news arrived from the King of Hungary that his domains had been attacked by the pernicious Venetians. The Grand-Duke immediately declared all Venetians outlawed from within his realm, and set about preparing to send a force to assist the King of Hungary. This war was to end however before such a force was ready to set out. Meanwhile the rebels of Belgorod now sought mercy, seeing how their Tartar allies had abandoned them to their fate. When the city fell they were treated with no mercy.
The news of this victory arrived in Moskva just three days before the wedding of the Grand-Duke to the Great Lady, Zoë Paleologus, daughter of the Emperor. This was a splendid affair, and it was the first occasion where the Grand-Duke used the title of Tsar of All-Russia. He did this after the marriage had taken place, for the Emperor had deemed him worthy of such an honour. With her the Empress brought many gifts from Tsargrad, saved from the infidel, and these the Grand-Duke distributed to places of worship, to those worthy of them as gifts, and some few he kept himself.
In the following winter Brother Andrei died in my arms. He was a humble man, always afraid that he was unworthy of the position he held. He was not, indeed he was more than equal to it, and he served God with distinction and with love. Father Pyotr then asked me to hold the Office of Chronicler, and I accepted.
It was at about this time that the City of Novgorod declared war upon the Livonian Order, citing barbarous acts that members of the Order had inflicted upon citizens of the city when they tried to trade in Riga. The Father of Novgorod asked the support of the Grand-Duke, which he was happy to give, and he allowed the armies of the City to march through the Grand-Duchy.
Thus the Year of Our Lord 1473 saw war again beset the borders of this realm. In the spring the forces of the City of Novgorod put to flight the army of the Order, and set to besieging the lands of the Order. Riga was the primary target of the City. They blockaded the harbour with their fleet – the Livonian ships were too frightened to put to sea – and sent only small forces into Kurland to ensure that no army could be successfully raised from there. Meanwhile we heard that Hungary had forced Venice to pay for its presumptions, and that our allies were once more secure.
In the winter of that year Riga surrendered to the City of Novgorod. The army of the city now intended to reduce Kurland more definitively than had yet been done. This is no easy task, for Kurland is a remote and backward place with many small towns and forts. The tangled forests contrive to hinder all movement, and ambushes are easy to execute. Knowing the difficulty of the task before him the Commander, Timofey Ivanovich, set out a plan whereby each region of the province was to be reduced in turn. First the coastal places, and then moving inland. By doing so he foiled all those who had hoped to fault him with failure.
By the winter of the Year of Our Lord 1474 this process was completed, and then the representatives of the Order were brought by Timofey before the City of Novgorod. There they were offered terms: to cede Kurland to the City and to pay a fine. These were agreed upon, and Timofey Ivanovich was hailed as a hero by the mob of the city. In his victory address he praised his friend the Grand-Duke for the aid he had offered, and used to opportunity to ridicule those who desired to leave the protection of the Grand-Duchy.
Shortly after this it became apparent that the Tartars had once more taken up arms against one another. The Khan of Kazan prosecuted his claim to the Horde, though in this the Khan of the Horde was supported by many others. Seeing that the Khan was outnumbered, and seeing that such discord only served the people of God the Grand-Duke dispatched funds to support Kazan. In doing so he made the humiliation of the Khan obvious to all right-thinking men.
During this summer the Grand-Duke made a decree concerned the production of vodka and other such drinks. Since so many of his subjects pleasured themselves with these liquors he declared that it was his duty to see that no harm came to his people because of it. By organising centres for the production of such he saw that no disloyal elements could wreck havoc on the people by introducing poisons into the brews. He also claimed a charge on this activity, since it was a form of trade.
Establish Vodka Monopoly (Moskva Tax +5 Stability +1 Serfdom +1 Nizhgorod MP +2 Refinery in Nizhgorod)
Such measures did not settle well with many people, who thought that the Grand-Duke was only looking for a way to reap a profit. There was an outbreak of evasion that autumn, but the Grand-Duke appointed special commissioners to walk lightly among the people, and little came of these disquiets. Of more concern was the news that the Ottoman Sultan had decided not to suffer the Roman Empire to live, and he declared war against the Romans because of his spite, breaking his former treaties.
Poor Government Policies (Stability –1 Trade Investment –350 Infra Investment –350)
In the summer of the following year, that is the Year of Our Lord 1476 we heard that the Ottoman had been successful in his ambition, and that the Empire of the Romans was no more. How can I describe our anger and our grief? I cannot. For my part I can only say that in that moment I understand the sorrow of our Greek brethren, who surely have had to live with the knowledge that this day would come. Blessed have we been, those of us whom distance granted innocence. It is the passing of an age, and all now look to the Grand-Duchy as being the only light of our world for the faithful. So I end this Book, the Eighth of the Chronicles of Gregorias, and the first to be written by me, Brother Ivan of the Monastery of Ss Stephanos and Ignatios.
(wouldn't spoil the surprise)
