982 – 985 Premonitions, Preparations, and Preemptive Strikes
The year 982 started with the news of death. Some of it was welcome. High Chief Nuyaksha’the Wise’ of Tver was dead in his cell. His lands and titles were divided by his two sons and the elective heir to Tver, High Chief Nuyaksha II of Mochkava, High Chief Tylze of Mari, and High Chief Setyamka of Tver. Setyamka was the most powerful of these new High Chiefs, but nowhere near the strength of the previous High Chief of Tver.
There were rumors that Syrka had sped up Nuyaksha’s death, but Syrka denied he had any hand in the death other than sending the High Chief of Tver to the dungeon. Though in private Syrka did say that after public pressure prevented him from executing Nuyaksha, due to his vassals seeing such an action as tyrannical, Syrka had briefly toyed with the idea of assassinating the man, but he could find little support and quickly abandoned the plot. (Nuyaksha’s death threw the succession into another flurry of candidates, Syrka’s son Ozheg appeared shortly, and then was quickly replaced by High Chief Parush of Veliky Ustug, then Chief Tul of Kostroma, and then son Ozheg again. After that Syrka lost track as other issues took precedence, but he was aware it was still changing.)
Some of the news was heartbreaking. Syrka’s eldest son Tunya has died of cancer in Rusa, leaving behind only a daughter. He is the second son Syrka had lost, after the death of the sickly Kinyak a decade earlier. But that was soon followed by the death of another, hidden, son, High Chief Robin II of Turov. Dead of dysentery at the age of 22.
The other news of death was just disturbing. There was a new Holy Roman Emperor, Frothari Karling had been elected to the throne. The first Karling to hold the seat in 63 years. The first Karling to hold any significant titles other than the Kingdom of Croatia, now held by King Gundobad. But Frothari being Emperor was not the disturbing part. What was disturbing was that he was the third Emperor in three years. The previous two Emperors, Gundobad Chiemgaudson, and his successor the Visigoth, Pelagio Begonid, been struck down in a short span. Both had been heavily involved in the ongoing Catholic Crusade for Egypt, but they had not died in battle. Both these powerful rulers had died from complications related to gout.
When Syrka heard this news, a chill swept through his own gout ridden body. He had borne and suffered from this disease for over 30 years, was this news a sign from the Gods that his own time was almost up? He was 65 years old, he had lived a good life and achieved rank and status undreamed of in his youth. This news galvanized him, he must put his affairs in order and secure his legacy, because he feared his time left on this earth was short.
Despite the plots against him and his lack of kinship with the great Erziya ‘the Bold’, Syrka’s prestige among his people was unmatched. He began thinking that he could create his own legacy. That his desendants would be as proud as the descendents of the first King. So he began directing efforts to that aim, but would he have time to forge that legacy?
While he dreamed of his descendants, he took a more practical approach to his children. He decided to settle their futures now while he had control rather than leave them squabbling and fighting over his estate when he died. Ozheg had already received his portion of the inheritance in Bjarmia, it was time to take care of his other younger sons.
He started with his most recent acquisition from the late High Chief Çortah 'the Kind', Latgale. Syrka’s son Viryas is the current heir to the High Chiefdom of Latgale, so Syrka grants those titles to him, both the Chiefdom and High Chiefdom. This makes him High Chief Viryas of Latgale, with three vassals below him.
Then he looks to his son Syrka the Younger. He had previously arranged Syrka’s marriage to Asrava, a daughter of late High Chief Nuyaksha of Tver. Nuyaksha had raised no objections from his cell at the time. And now Asrava would have claims to most of the late High Chief’s titles. Syrka the Younger was in line to receive Minsk. So Syrka grants him the Chiefdoms of Minsk and Drutsk, and then the High Chiefdom of Minsk, where he becomes High Chief Syrka II of Minsk.
Syrka’s oldest surviving son, Chief Tutyra of Peresyaslavl Zalesky, was already looking to his own future. He was currently the heir to Valdimir and has become a fledgling in Followers of Otso. Syrka is concerned about rumors he hears that Tutyra’s appetites have grown, this is what had happened to Syrka long ago when he had risen to the Chiefdom of Syktyvkar. He had fed his gluttony which had led to the gout he had suffered from ever since. He let his son know his concerns, but there was little else he could do. His son was a man grown as well as a vassal of another Kingdom.
Syrka’s youngest son, Inzhay, would have to wait a little longer for his own inheritance, as he was still working on his martial education. He was destined to inherit the High Chiefdom of Turov. This was because with the death of High Chief Robin II of Turov, Syrka had inherited the High Chiefdom of Turov and other titles. Robin had died leaving behind a young daughter, and two sisters so his land and titles had reverted to the crown. His 4-year old daughter Setyamka Robin had come to Yaroslavl, she will be raised in humility, Syrka vowed to protect his granddaughter. Robin’s younger sister 14-year old Sernyava Robin was already betrothed. And his older sister (Syrka’s hidden daughter) Oshama Robin is married to Chief Tylze of Mochkava and has two sons. Syka also inherited Turov’s retinue of 550 men under Commander Pokshayka. This retinue had been recalled to Yaroslavl to merge with the Merry Men.
Inzhay would have to wait for his inheritance, but Syra did look to his future. He arranged a betrothal for Inzhay to Chenska Kardazid, daughter of High Chief Paksyay 'the Wise' of Estonia. Chenska is already known as 'the Heavenly'.
With his family’s future accounted for, Syrka looked to Merya’s future. Along the southern border, some the recently conquered lands taken from the different Khazars still had a strong nomad presence who were causing agitation. These lands were missing strong central communities that would resist the remaining nomad influence. These areas included Tynea in the east and Novosil and Vorotynsk in the south as well as Syrka’s newest conquest, Cheremisa. Syrka started with his own lands first, and began construction of an earth hillfort in Cheremisa. Then he expanded and started a second earth hillfort in Tynea, another center of nomad trouble. These construction efforts would take about a year to complete.
When the earth hillfort was completed in Cheremisa, a practice range was proposed next, which would take another year. An earth hillfort was also completed in Tynea, Syrka proposed a war camp there next. The population of Tynea had recently converted to Suomenusko, and had recently been raided, looted and pillaged. Unfortunately, Syrka didn’t know who was responsible for that raid. Hopefully, the newly completed hillfort and the proposed war camp would make the area more defensible. Syrka sent the crews that had constructed the hillforts in Cheremisa and Tynea, to do the same in the Novosil and Vorotynsk areas to deal with the nomad agitation in those regions.
Finally, Syrka turned to what he considered the biggest threat to Merya’s future, the ambitions of Purysho ‘the Monster’ of Vladimir. Purysho’s subjugation of Nenets had proven he was a capable general and conqueror, but now Syrka’s precipitous conquest of Cheremisa had emphasized Vladimir’s problem. By conquering Cheremisa, Merya's borders now completely surrounded the heart of Vladimir, and its other territories were separated from each other by more Meryan lands. The only way for Purysho to unify his scattered Kingdom was to conquer Merya, either piece by piece, or all at once. This is what Syrka feared in seeing his son Tutyra put forward as the heir to Vladimir, if Purysho could not complete the unification, Tutyra, as a son of a King of Merya, would have the claims to complete the task as his successor.
King Syrka had decided it was time to show Purysho ‘the Monster’ and, by example, King Nalka ‘Ironside’ of Estonia, that while all three were Kardazid Kings, the King of Merya was natural and true leader of the Kardazid clan and all the Mordvin people. He didn’t want to fight multiple wars to conquer scattered Vladimir, plus he didn’t even have claims on much of the territory, and frankly, he didn’t think he had the time, based on his premonitions. And even if he did conqueror it all and claim the crowns of Vladimir, Nenets and Novgorod, it would all be split again on his death and his sons would face the same issues.
Syrka decided to go a different route. King Purysho could keep his crowns, but he would be made to bend the knee and acknowledge Merya’s superior standing. Syrka wasn’t thinking of just making Purysho pay tribute to him for the rest of his life, but to make the Kingdom of Vladimir acknowledge Merya as it’s suzerain for all time as a permanent tributary state below the Kingdom of Merya. This would not only end the threat of Vladimir, but raise Syrka’s standing throughout Merya.
In the Spring of 983, King Syrka of Merya declared war on King Purysho ‘the Monster’ of Valdimir to make the Kingdom of Vladimir a tributary state.
Both Merya and Vladimir had the same idea, they both gathered their armies and sent them againt their respective capitols. There was a small skirmish in Toropets between some of the individual warbands making their way east, but it was insignicant when compared to what was coming. By the fall, 7,000 Meryans were laying siege to the Vladimir while 10,000 warriors from Vladimir were besieging Yaroslavl. Syrka was shocked that Vladimir had managed to raise so many warriors and felt helpless trapped in Yaroslavl, surrounded by enemies.
But he had to trust in commanders and vassals and also trust in the many improvements that he and his predecessors had made to Yaroslavl over the years. Yaroslavl’s reinforced hillfort was better suited withstand a siege than the Vladimir capitol. He was confident that his 7,000 warriors would take Vladimir and be able to send relief before he had to surrender Yaroslavl. And he knew that he had far more than the 7,000 men that had been sent to Vladimir. The more far-flung vassals were still sending their troops toward the center of the Kingdom. They would rally north of Yaroslavl and when the time was right, they would join in the assault on the siege camps outside Syrka’s home.
While the siege continued Syrka received only intermittent news from the outside world. The Catholic Crusade for Egypt was still dragging on 12 years after it began. There was word of an epidemic in the Western Protectorate, far to the east. And two more Holy Roman Emperors had died. Frothari 'Son of the Devil' Karling is dead, after ruling less than 4 years. He had been followed by Kaiser Rutger Begonid, German instead of a Visigoth like his father. Kaiser Rutger barely lasted a year before dying of natural causes. The new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire is Arnulf 'the Butcher' de Chaumontois. Maybe he will last longer than the four previous Emperors.
Within Yaroslavl, the only good news was High Chief Salinder of Nidaros had died in the dungeons. His brother, Num Samayid, is new High Chief of Nidaros, and not a Tengri follower.
And surprisingly, two missionaries were allowed through the siege lines. One was a typical Catholic missionary, Bishop Cytelbearn of Carlisle, sent by King Thurfrith 'the Wise' of England. The second is a Kirghiz missionary named Ögüne Katun sent by Khagan Kül. He is preaching a different faith than any of the previous missionaries, Zoroastrianism. Both are imprisoned and Bishop Cytelbearn pays his ransom. Ögüne Katun remains forgotten in the dungeon.
Syrka also had time to think more about his legacy and how he would like to be remembered. He doubted nay would see him as a paragon of virtue, some holy warrior. And depite his recent actions, he had never been one, with his crippled body, to inspire fear. He must focus on emphasizing how he had helped Merya and how the Kardazid dynasty is grow and becoming more import due to his all he had done as King.
Just before the new year, Vladimir, as predicted, was surrendered to the besieging army. The Meryans immediately broke camp and headed north to Yaroslavl. Forest runners were sent further north to the allied armies encamped north of Yaroslavl to coordinate the attack. In mid January the combined armies fell upon the Vladimir siege camp, 18,000 Meryans versus the 10,000 Vladimirians in the siege camp.
The Battle of Yaroslavl lasted for 2 months, played out below the walls of the capitol. Over 5,00 men died, 2,300 Meryans versus 2,900 Vladimirians. The bloodiest battle ever fought on Meryan soil. There had been battles that had cost as many lives, but they had been fought on Merya’s borders and beyond, when they had dared to challenge the Khazars on their chosen ground and paid the price. This blood was spilled in the very heart of the Kingdom.
But Merya was victorious and the siege was broken. While the bulk of the army followed after the retreating Vladimir army, a a smaller contingent is sent back into Vladimir to gain control of more territory. By midsummer, Suzdal and Yuryev were captured, with dozens of prisoners and hostages captured.
The Vladimir army numbering 5,600 men tries to march on Yaroslavl again, but they are intercepted in Uglich by the main Meryan army, numbering 12,000 men. The survivors flee south, but the Meryans follow after, and some 2 months later another battle takes place in Galich Mersky, 12,000 Meryans versus the 4,100 survivors. The Vladimir army is savaged and scattered.
Meanwhile Gorodets has also been captured. King Purysho ‘the Monster’ sees that resistance was futile and he would have to submit to the suzerainty of Merya. In the spring of 985, King Purysho of Vladimir surrenders, and bends knee to King Syrka, pledging to provide Merya with a portion of Vladimir’s income and manpower during Merya’s wars, in exchange for Merya’s pledge to help defend Valdimir from attack. Vladimir and his other lands were now tributary states of Merya, demonstrating that the Crown of Merya stood above the other Kardazid crowns.
King Purysho's first act as a tributary state is to beg for Merya's aid in its wars against Sweden and Estonia. Syrka must pledge Merya's support or risk losing all he had just fought for.
This is Syrka’s last act as King of Merya and the tributary state will become his chief legacy. Gout, the killer of Emperors, has claimed the King above Kings.