933 – 938 Five Swift Years
The next 5 years went by swiftly, there were no major wars for Merya, but there were a number of border conflicts involving mainly Merya’s vassals, although King Nuyat did launch one war of conquest. There was also some raiding and counter-raiding, but most of the more interesting events occurred outside of Merya’s borders.
Nuyat’s vassals did much to expand Merya’s borders to the east. First Chief Nabtiko of Mezen, a vassal to the High Chief of Bjarmia subjugated the independent High Chief Sirtya of Zyriane, a fellow Nenets Chief. Not only did this bring Sirtya and his vassals in to Merya, it also freed the new High Chief Nabtiko of Zyriane from paying homage to the Voice of Merya, High Chief Sarak of Bjarmia, Nabtiko became one of King Nuyat’s more powerful direct vassals and High Chief Sarak was considerably weakened, which suited King Nuyat. High Chief Nabtiko would then forcibly vassalized Chief Veckhas of Kozhva, bringing him into Merya as well. But he wasn’t done yet, as Chief Andyamo of Vychegda, another independent Komi Chief, is the next to come under attack by High Chief Nabtiko of Zyriane.
Meanwhile, Nabtiko’s new vassal, Chief Vechkas of Kozhva, wasted no time and attacked his neighbor, Setyamka Yugra, and usurped the Chiefdom of Vel from her, making him Chief Vechkas of Kozhva and Vel under High Chief Nabtiko of Zyriane.
High Chief Brun II of Mochkava also pushed Merya’s borders further east after he first declared war against another independent Chief, Tyueykezhut, to subjugate Keltma. After he successfully forced Chief Tyueykezhut of Keltma to kneel and become a vassal to Mochkava, then High Chief Brun 'the Monster' launched the Muscovite conquest of Kudymkar against the Tengri High Chief Bator II of Perm, in an attempt to wrest that Komi village from its Pecheneg overlord. High Chief Brun 'the Monster' would win his war for Kudymkar and also oust the Tengri shaman from temple at Kirs, defeating High Chief Bator II of Perm.
Some of King Nuyat’s other vassals were not as successful. High Chief Kako of Nidaros has launched the conquest of Eystridal, the capitol of Noregr against King Suni 'the Evil' of Noregr, this war would drag on for years with no resolution.
While in the south, High Chief Tylze of Tver tried to duplicate his success in the Liberation of Novosil by declaring the Liberation of Ryazan against Khagan Bugha of Bihorid. This time he failed, being completely routed by the Bihorid horde.
High Chief Alik 'of the Empty Pockets' of Kargopol was the most ambitious of Nuyat’s vassals as he attempted to subjugate King Ensio of Suomi. Nuyat was not happy to hear of his plan, knowing if Alik succeeded, it would pull Kargopol and all of its vassals out of Merya to join the Kingdom of Suomi. But Alik’s vision greatly exceeded his grasp and he was soundly defeated, but not before bringing sorrow to both Kings’ families, King Nuyat’s, as well as King Ensio’s.
Before that war started, Nuyat had seen two of his daughters wed. One daughter, Kunyavka, had gone to south to Vladimir to become Queen, marrying young King Mordvinko, who had come of age. His next daughter, Cherava, had gone north to Suomi to be married to King Ensio’s cousin, Asikko Karjalanien. The new couple would soon have a child, Nuyat’s grandson, Pentti Karjalainen. During the Alik’s war, the warriors of Kargopol had sacked the capitol of Suomi and captured several members of King Ensio’s extended family, including his cousin, Asikko Karjalainen, and Asikko’s newborn son. Nuyat’s son-in-law would die in High Chief Alik of Kargopol's dungeons and Nuyat's grandson, Pentti Karjalainen, would remain a prisoner in Kargopol until the war was over.
King Nuyat’s daughter, Cherava, a widow at 18, returned to Yaroslavl following word of her husband’s death to try and get Nuyat’s help to free her son. But Nuyat could not interfere directly, but strongly encouraged Alik to keep the boy safe and ransom him as soon as possible.
King Nuyat’s only war in this time period was the conquest of Latgale against the High Chief Vykantas of Krivichia, a follow up to the earlier war for Polotsk, completing his ambition to drive the Krivichians south of the Daugava River. Nuyat had called his tributary, young King Mordvinko of Vladimir, as well as the rest of his vassals, to arms. King Mordvinko was quick to pledge his support. The Krivichian villages of Latgale and Lukoml were captured after short sieges. There was a slight setback when Smolensk had fallen to Krivichians, but the attackers were caught before they could move on and were defeated in battle outside of Smolensk. Smolensk itself was freed by an assault on the enemy garrison. Allies to Krivichia tried to recapture Latgale, but King Nuyat led the Meryan army north to relieve siege. In the victorious Battle of Latgale, King Nuyat becomes known as an inspiring leader. Overall, the Meryan conquest of Latgale was overwhelming and terms were soon sent to High Chief Vykantas leading to King Nuyat of Merya usurping the Chiefdom of Latgale.
The war is won, but Krivichia's decline would continue as High Chief Nameisis 'the Fox' of Smolensk, a vassal to Khazaria, has launched a war to to subjugate High Chief Vykantas. This victory did lead to Khagan Bugha Bihorid forming a defensive pact against King Nuyat which many pagan leaders joined. Because of this, Nuyat turned to raiding rather than conquest for the rest of this time period.
There was some internal conflict within Merya. Some of which was handled personally by the interested parties, such as the Samayid clan fighting among themselves. First Ngënoh Samayid, Chief of Pinega and grandson of the old High Chief of Velsk, killed his brother, Tatva, in single combat and claimed the Chiefdom of Velsk. But he, in turn was challenged by his other brother, Chief Yadne of Syrj. Chief Yadne wins the challenge and slays his own brother to claim both the Chiefdoms of Velsk and Pinega, reuniting all three lands once held by their father at the cost of two of his brothers’ lives.
Other conflicts led to revolts and wars. Count Terho Tšuudit of Zaozerye started a revolt to press for Orunza's claim on Veps against High Chief Tylmache 'Ironside'. Tylemache ‘Ironside’ was one of Nuyat’s commanders under War Chief Paksyut and was much more skilled at war than Chief Terho, so Terho Tšuudit would lose his revolt and be imprisoned by the High Chief of Veps.
Far to the north, Yavlad 'the Monster' Hasabid of Jamtland is leading the Trondish Revolt against High Chief Kako of Nidaros to press Chief Yadne's claim to Nidaros, while Kako’s war against Noregr continued.
And in High Chief of Tver’s recently liberated lands of Novosil, Kundaç, a Khazar warrior led a peasant revolt. King Nuyat personally led the Merry Men south to deal with the Khazar rebels, defeating them at the Battle of Novosil and quickly ending the Tengri peasant revolt.
But after dealing with the peasant revolt, King Nuyat lead the Merry Men west to raid with two of his commanders, Robin and Koshel. They would first head to into Selija on the south bank of the Daugava River, after Selija was looted and pillaged they crossed the river and attacked Jersika, the capitol of the High Chief of Latgale. Many prisoners were captured at Jersika, including High Chieftess Ausra of Latgale and other family members of High Chief Gedere.
As Nuyat and Merry Men moved north to Talava, they are already sending initial ransoms demands for the prisoners. Ausra is quickly ransomed as are Steikint Vidins, the 8-year old brother to the Chief of Selija and kinsman to the High Chief, and Traidens Vidins, a bastard of the ruling clan.
Elin Toki, the wife of a Latgale courtier, and Asiya bint Khaireddin of the Ikarosid, a Bedoin Sunni concubine, were also captured by Nuyat's raiders. High Chief Gedere of Latgale refuses to ransom either of them. Elin is released to make her own way home, but Nuyat is captivated by Asiya, her exotic coloring and long black hair, so different than anyone he had ever met. Nuyat recruits her, freeing her from prison and offering her a place in Yaroslavl. He then asks if she will become his concubine. He could have forced her when she was a prisoner, but he wanted it to be her choice. She accepts, but as a stranger in a strange land, she may have seen little alternative.
Talava falls to the Meryan raiders, and then they move west to Riga, Noregr's lone foothold on southern Baltic coast. Riga soon falls in siege to the raiders and Ledurga is looted next. While raiding the temple of Ledurga in Riga, a strange, intricate key is found. Nuyat recognizes that it is made from the same metal as the mysterious chest that has been sitting in Merya’s treasury vault for over 135 years, brought back by Viryay ‘Stonefist’ after one of his raids. The chest has resisted all attempts over the years to open it, but now Nuyat may have found the means to finally learn its secrets.
After Riga, the raiders then headed north into Livland. Livland is part of the Kingdom of Saxony which was fighting off the Crusade in the west at the time. So Livland falls to Meryan raiders with little resistance. Further north is the Kardazid Kingdom of Estonia, so Nuyat ends the raid and heads back to Yaroslavl. The first thing Nuyat does when he finally returns to Yaroslavl, is to head to the treasury to test the strange key. He finds that the key fits in the lock and but as he turns it, a horrible screeching noise is heard and the key and lock both crack and crumble to dust…but the lid pops open. After a hundred and thirty-five years of speculation and greed, Nuyat is the first to behold the vast treasures inside…the treasures of some ancient child. The chest is filled with old toys and useless baubles and trinkets of little value, the impenetrable chest itself would have been worth far more than its contents, if the lock and key had not been destroyed, leaving the chest impossible to close again. Disgusted, Nuyat drags the broken chest and its contents from the treasury and places it in the nursery for his young son Nishkepaz to play with.
Using loot from the raids and ransoms, the market town in Yaroslavl will be upgraded. It will take a year. The war camp at Uglich will also be upgraded and that will take almost two years.
While Nuyat’s vassals made war, and he conquered a piece of Krivichia and raided his western neighbors, life continued in Merya, the good and the bad.
Inyava Muromid came of age in Yaroslavl and was married to her betrothed, the young Chief Puresh of Izborsk. But that was another tragic tale, as Parush would soon succumb to cancer, and his younger brother Andyamo of Man would become the new Chief of Izborsk. The 17-year old Chief Andyamo of Izborsk was betrothed to the sister of his brother’s widow, Mazava Muromid, one of Nuyat’s wards. When Mazava Muromid comes of age, she is married to Chief Andyamo of Izborsk and goes to comfort her grieving sister.
Chief Kinyak of Kholm, the last surviving child of King Erziya 'the Bold' died of the Great Pox at the age of 70. His surviving sons split his lands and titles. 13-year old Tul inherits the Chiefdom of Rusa and 25-year old Viryay becomes Chief of Kholm and Borovichi.
Dergun of Udine comes of age, a skilled tactician, naturally strong, and is married Atpälha Ngayid, daughter of the High Chief of Velsk. Queen Anava's bastard son Kezhedey Meryavid from her affair with late Chief Malyy of Hlynov (bushy beards must come from her side of family, as Kezhedey closely resembles his half-brother Parush) is married to Yiltïs Toghan kyzy of the Kiliçli clan.
In other happy news, his daughter Tetyava ‘the Merry’ and her husband continue to make babies, first a daughter, named Tetyava after her mother, and then a son named Varaka. And Commander Robin and his wife Marion finally have a child, a son who they name Nuyaksha.
Nuyat’s healer Tyushten diagnoses Nuyat’s first concubine Tada Tobyid as having the Great Pox. As Nuyat had been away raiding for over a year, he knows he had not been the one to give it to her, so Tada is set aside and then married off to High Chief Kako of Nidaros. He accepts despite her affliction, or because it was not mentioned.
Nuyat also begins to plan for the future for his sons. He grants his eldest son Parush the Chiefdom of Mari and then the High Chiefdom of Mari (After a 100 years under the Kingdom of Merya, the High Chiefdom of Mari is no longer considered part of the Kingdom of Volga Bulgaria, but has become a de jure part of Merya). Parush becomes High Chief Parush II of Mari (the first High Chief Parush was the legendary Hero, Parush 'the Great Bear', the friend and companion of Viryay 'Stonefist'). King Nuyat officially nominates his son Parush as the next King of Merya. The nomination shakes up the succession, as High Chief Brun ‘the Monster’ of Mochkava is no longer heir, but not as Nuyat had planned as neither is Parush. Chief Dobrinya of Ryazan has suddenly become the new heir to the Kingdom of Merya.
And once again Nuyat finds himself having to fill positions on his Council as a couple more members are murdered. First Chief Saksa of Mordva is murdered by unknown killer, his 2-year old son Viryas Pure is new Chief of Mordva, with his mother as regent and his newborn brother, Vechkas Pure, as his heir. So Merya once again needs a new Steward. Out of the leading candidates, High Chief Nuyaksha of Murom is chosen to join the Council. He is a good choice as he is still loyal and grateful for Nuyat granting him the High Chiefdom of Murom.
The second murder is spymaster Kichay of Kerzhenets. Chief Kichay was murdered on the orders of Chief Tutyra 'the Quarreller’ of Bezichy of the old Mordvin Tyushten clan. Chief Tutyra of Bezichy is a vassal to High Chief of Veps. Why he had Kichay killed is unclear, but Nuyat assumed Kichay had uncovered some plot Tutyra had been hatching, most likely against his liege. Chief Kichay’s kinsman, Inzhay Varakid, is the new Chief of Kerzhenets. Chief Inzhay of Kerzhenets is also heir to Gorodets, a village in Vladimir. While many of Nuyat’s vassals would like a place on the Council of Merya, they are wary of the dangerous and often fatal role of spymaster. In the end, Nuyat is forced to turn to a foreign-born courtier, Ozgul Bihorid, as the new Spymaster, she is the wife of one of Nuyat’s courtiers, Deryab Roslavsky.
For all that happened within Merya and around its perimeter, more was happening beyond the borders.
King Velmayka of Estonia has died, and another Kardazid has claimed the throne of the Estonian Kings. King Purysho Kardazid now rules Estonia. He has immediately began attacking King Suni 'the Evil' in the subjugation of Noregr.
To the west, Merya’s former enemy Lithuania continued to have troubles. King Rimantas 'the Butcher' of Lithuania died of an infected wound, leaving 11-year old Vizgirdas as King of Lithuania. The vultures were quick to gather around the wounded Lithuania, as it was soon under threat from five different attackers.
But Lithuania’s troubles were minor compared to the Kingdom of Saxony. All of Christianity was marching against the scattered Kingdom. Pope Callistus II has called for a Crusade for Saxony against King Alfr, the Norse King of Saxony. The Saxons had been pushed out of their traditional home 175 years ago, but in that time they had established new de jure boundaries in Scandinavia. Now the Christians were coming to take away their new homeland.
King Alfr of Saxony did not last long against the Crusaders as Queen Sunnilda of Brittany was soon granted victory in the Crusade for Saxony by the Pope. Her kinsman, Sikard Varbertingi, a Lombard Catholic, is granted the captured lands as King Sikard 'the Protector' of Saxony. The former King, Alfr of Varde is left with only a four scattered holdings. After 175 years of living on the run, the af Aalborg clan's time may have finally run out.
Further west, the Holy Empire was going through a period of instability following the death of Emperor Ewin 'the Just', the first non-Karling Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. His successor, the new Holy Roman Emperor, from a Frankish dynasty, Emperor Autgari 'the Young' Baberberger died after less than 2 years ruling the Holy Roman Empire. There was no sign of foul play, death appeared natural. He was succeeded by Sicleard Vuodi, the Duke of Dauphine. Emperor Sicleard Vuodi of the Holy Roman Empire lasted less than 6 months, his death also appeared to be of natural causes. Now Wifredo Begonid, the Visogoth, is crowned as the new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, already older than both his predecessors, but his people hope he will last longer. He does have one success early in his reign as he convinces Toste Kráka, the Norse King of Sjaelland to convert to Catholicism, earning him the nickname Emperor Wifredo 'the Missionary’ of the Holy Roman Empire. The conversion of Sjaelland along with the earlier fall of Saxony, left only the Kingdom of Noregr as champions of Odin and the other Germanic Gods, though a few followers remained as vassals to High Chief Kako of Nidaros in Merya.
But while the Catholics are gaining strength in the north, following the successful Crusade and Wifredo’s missionary work, they are losing ground far to the south. Badshah Hussayn 'the Tenacious' of the Umayyad Empire has crossed the length of the Mediterranean Sea to take back the City of Jerusalem from King Boleslaw, the former leader of the successful Children’s Crusade. Now, the Sheikdom of Jerusalem is back in Muslim hands after 19 years under Christian rule. King Boleslaw of Jerusalem's troubles are far from over, with one internal revolt and two other wars coming from his neighbors. But he soon is forced to abdicate by the leaders of the internal revolt, passing the rest of those troubles to his son Lucjan. The newly crowned Christian King Lucjan of Jerusalem is now under attack from Emir Idris of the Muzaffaraddin, as well as Prince Aghlab 'the Terrible' of the Abbasid Empire, Sheikh Adhid of Eilat, and Emir Musa of Trebizond, with his only aid coming from the Knights of Sardinia. Each of the different Muslim lords are making separate claims to Jerusalem lands and titles, should they win there will be little left of the Crusader Kingdom.
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