The People of the Forest

[Dunaden]

957-960 Liberation of Polotsk and the Aftermath

Merya was mobilizing for war, but it Syrka did not plan to march until after the spring thaw. Syrka stayed warm in Yaroslavl and welcomed a new son just before the winter solstice. They named the boy after the Hero and War Chief, the boy’s beaming grandfather Ozheg.

Syrka also tempted fate and the new-won loyalty of the Merry Men. Badiat, the exotic looking daughter of the late King Nuyat and his former concubine, Asiya, and the new bride of Nuyaksha Robin’s son, caught his eye and his heart and he began flirting with the girl. He ignored the possible dangers, and while his wife was nursing the new born son, he bedded the girl. Before winter had ended, he learned that she was pregnant with his child, but they both hoped Nuyaksha and the rest of Yaroslavl would think the child was Nuyaksha’s.

But while Syrka was staying warm in Badiat’s arms other parts of Yaroslavl felt the cold of the deepest part of winter, and soon the depressed and stressed High Chief Brun 'the Monster' of Mochkava died in the hole Syrka had thrown him in. Brun was not the only one, his co-conspirator, High Chief Velmayka of Veps, has also died in Syrka's dungeon that winter.

Brun’s lands were split. His 12-year old son, Parush, became High Chief of Veliky Ustug, while Syrka’s current heir, Nuyaksha, son of High Chief Tylze of Tver, became the new High Chief of Mochkava. High Chief Nuyaksha also inherited the revolt in Mochkava. High Chief Velmayka of Veps’ land and titles went to his kinsman, Kezhapa Torzhokid. Two more plotters were gone for good. The only conspirator left was High Chief Parush of Mari, known as 'the Careless.

Brun’s replacement as Steward, did not outlast Brun by much. The new Steward, Chief Nuyaksha of Chlisselbourg, died of cancer during the winter months as well. The new Chief of Chlisselbourg was Tyushtya Torzhokid, a one-handed lunatic, but he lasted less than a month as Tyushtya had an 'accident'. Perhaps someone decided a madman didn't make a good Chief. But it turned out his son, the new Chief Orunza of Chlisselbourg, was also mad.

Syrka needed a new steward, and so messages were sent to High Chief Yar 'the Tormentor' in Nidaros, offering him the position. Syrka did not expect an answer or to see his new steward until the spring when the army would begin to gather.

War Chief Ozheg Artid spent the winter training the men that were already in Yaroslavl in preparation for the coming campaign. Commander Varaka was one who showed remarkable improvement under Ozheg's guidance.

When spring arrived, the warriors of Merya descended on Yaroslavl. All but the two furthest eastern Chiefs had pledged their support, even High Chief Folki of Iceland. Only High Chief Nabtiko ‘the Mule’ of Zyriane and his former vassal, and now neighbor, High Chief Wayngachi of Zavarot failed to appear. They were too busy adjusting to their new situation to want to march west to war. Nabtiko fearing Wayngachi had further ambitions to expand and Wayngachi wondering if Nabtiko would try to make him bend the knee again.

High Chief Yar 'the Tormentor' of Nidaros showed up to take his postion on the Council as Steward. He also brought news that his vassal, Hemming of Nordland, had usurped the Chiefdom of Kantalahti from the Catholic King of Noregr, Hakon ‘the Chaste’. Giving Merya another port on the White Sea and making the King of Suomi a bit uncomfortable.

King Syrka was feeling better than he had in years, the pain of his gout had receded over the winter enough that he decided to accompany his men west to Vitebsk, the first target of the war. After a small skirmish outside of Vitebsk, word reached them of the main rebel horde was just to the south in Orsha. Syrka lead 7,200 warriors south into Orsha to engage the 3,700 rebel Khazars.

For the first time in years, Syrka entered into battle. Syrka didn’t lead the charge, but he directed his men forward, sitting on horseback in the rear, as he still wasn’t up to running forward on foot and fighting personally. Before the battle had barely begun, additional reinforcements from Syrka’s vassals arrived and joined the attack. The Khazars quickly saw that the battle was hopeless and fled, their more mobile mounted troops quickly out distancing any pursuit.

Syrka ordered his men to break off and return north to lay siege to Vitebsk. He sent his vassal troops west into Lukoml to capture the other target of the war. It would take until the start of the new year for Vitebsk to finally fall into Merya’s hands. Lukoml’s fall would follow in a couple months.

The fall of Lukoml led to the capture of several valuable prisoners which all were turned over to Syrka . These included many members of High Chief Sviatopolk of Polotsk’s family. His wife, High Chieftess Savkëlti of Polotsk, a Khazar girl, his brother, Radoslav Vidins, Radoslav’s wife, Jevna Penikis, and their son, Skornand Vidins, and finally Sbyslava, High Chief Sviatopolk’s daughter. Sviatopolk himself was in the field leading troops.

While the Meryan armies would winter in the captured villages, Syrka returned home to Yaroslavl. There he learned Badiat had given birth to a daughter, who was named named Oshama. Fortunately, her husband, Nuyaksha, and the rest of the world thinks the girl is his child, so Syrka feels secure enough to continue the affair. He also receives messages from High Chief Çortah 'the Kind' that accuse his Councilor High Chief Nuyaksha 'the Just' of Murom of treason. Syrka decides to side with the Voice of Merya and dismisses the accusation. High Chief Çortah was not happy being called a liar. Finally, Syrka receives word that High Chief Folki is attempting to claim the rest of Iceland from the Irish Chief of Austisland. Syrka wishes him luck, though he has little idea of where or what Autisland is.

A final bit of news reaches him in the spring, High Chief Sviatopolk of Polotsk was murdered, making his brother Radoslav, Syrka's prisoner, the new High Chief of Polotsk. As Radoslav was in a dungeon at the time, he is not a suspect in his brother’s death, but his value as a prisoner increased significantly. Syrka makes sure the prisoner is secure and then moves forward with the war to liberate High Chief Radoslav from his Khazar overlords.

The Merry men leave their winter quarters and Syrka leaves Yaroslavl and his newly pregnant wife and they meet in the rebel lands of Vyzma. However, they find Vyzma hasd already been captured by another army, in an unrelated war to his own, so the Meryans turn south and lay siege to Mstislavl instead. Mstislavl falls by mid summer, with three more noble prisoners taken.

The Merry Men and allies then attack the Khazar rebel army at Roslavl. In the Battle of Roslavl, Merya nd her vassals outnumber the rebels more than 2 to 1, but the battle is hard fought and both sides lose an equal number of men. But Merya has the numbers to win this battle of attrition, and once again the rebels are forced to flee.

Tarkhan Bihord, the leader of the Khazarian revolt, knows he can’t keep fighting war on two fronts and he cares little for the people in Polotsk, so he is willing to discuss peace with Syrka. He agrees to cede Polotsk to Merya, ending the Liberation war, while his war against Khagan Bihor II continues. Merya’s western provinces are now all linked again to the rest of the kingdom though the High Chiefdom of Polotsk.

Syrka’s prisoner High Chief Radoslav of Polotsk is now Syrka’s vassal, but he does not want to add give the Lettigallian voting bloc in the Kingdom another supportor, so using the religious revocation laws of the Kingdom, he strips his prisoner of first the High Chiefdom of Polotsk and then his holdings in Lukoml. No one except his fellow Romuva vassals in the south object. Then Syrka banishes the now landless Radoslav Vidins, leaving him with nothing.

Radoslav’s former vassal tribe of Vitebsk is held by the Slavic Hero Chief Vysheslav 'the Hunter' of the old Ilmenian Kryvich family. The man is 72 years old, and so Syrka originally considers leaving him to die in peace in his home. But Mastorava discovers that Chief Vysheslav is trying to fabricate a claim on the High Chiefdom of Polotsk, so Syrka orders his arrest. The old hunter is too wily to be caught napping and escapes capture, and raises his warriors in rebellion.

Syrka calls his vassals to war, some of the distant ones understandably refuse, but also some of the Lettigallians also refuse, still angered about Syrka's treatment of Radoslav, one of their own. Vitebsk has little hope and soon falls, ending the rebellion. The old hunter is imprisoned. Syrka treats him similarly to Radoslav, stripping him of Vitebsk and then banishing him from Merya. Vysheslav 'the Hunter' fled across the border to Kozelsk, nursing his hatred.

The result of these wars proved quite beneficial, not only did Syrka connect his divided Kingdom, he also added to his personal lands and titles and filled his empty treasury with gold stripped from the previous chiefs. But the wars also had their down sides as Merya’s gains led to three defensive pacts rising against King Syrka. The pagan defensive pact includes his neghboring Kardazid Kings as well as some Khagans and other Chiefs. Far to the west, King Nannid of Mumu forms the Catholic defensive pact against King Syrka, probably more concerned about High Chief Folki's wars in Iceland rather than anything King Syrka did personally. High Chief Folki soon claimed all of Iceland, taking the temple of Kirkjubaer and the Chiefdom of Austisland from the Irish, making all of the island of Iceland part of Merya, though it is held by a Norse child.

The Christian defensive pact formed by King Nannid, briefly the Chief of Austisland, before he was deposed, as well as King Hakon of Noregr and Syrka's wife's kinsman, High Chief Zyryan of Ural in the east. The eastern religions’ defensive pact is a pact of one, Khagan Ipa' the Butcher'.

With those brief wars behind them, life continues in Yaroslavl. Syrka and his Queen Pokshava soon welcome the birth of another son, who they name Kinyak. But this boy gives only a feeble cry at birth, the shamans and midwives do not think the boy will ever grow strong.

A Catholic missionary arrives in Yaroslavl, Bishop Wulnoth of Carlisle, who was sent by a King Thurfrith of England (it seems King Wulf 'the Old' had finally passed). He comes to Syrka and begins begging Syrka to have the baby baptized before it dies so its soul will go to heaven rather than the fires of hell. Syrka ignores his ranting and treats him the same as all previous missionaries. Bishop Wulnoth is imprisoned and held until they can negotiate a ransom, and then he is sent on his way home.

After his two years on campaign, Syrka has come to appreciate the comforts of home and family. He soon reverts to his old patterns and begins indulging in too much food and drink. He is quite content to spend his days in Yaroslavl with his wife and family (and stolen moments with Badiat). But he soon begins to gain weight and this lifestyle also causes renewed flair ups of his gout. That and Queen Pokshava’s disapproval of this new softer, rounder patriarch, soon puts Syrka on to a hard diet. Pokshava does provide incentives for Syrka to stick to the diet, which lead to her becoming pregnant again. She is not the only one as Syrka also learns on the same day that his lover Badiat is also pregnant again.

The next nine months pass swiftly with little of note. Syrka’s fellow King, King Khaireddin of Nenetsia has come of age. He is deemed a skilled tactician and brave man, though a little too uncouth and trusting, having been raised by regents rather than in a family setting. He has defeated his older brother, High Chief Parush’s attempt to overthrow him and has now solidified his hold on his lands and titles, though he is fighting a war with Lithuania over Riga. Khaireddin’s wife, Queen Potyava Yugra of Nenetsia, is also lying in, soon to give to birth his first child.

To the south another of the Khardazid Kings is at war. King Mordvinko of Vladimir is attacking Khagan Bagha of Khuterkin, to reclaim the last piece of Vladimir’s traditional lands. King Syrka offers to join Mordvinko in his war. The Khuterkins have been sacking and pillaging Merya’s southern border for years and Syrka leaps at the chance to humble the Khazars' responsible. King Mordvinko accepts Syrka offer, but the war is already nearing its end. King Mordvinko wins the Liberation of Vladimir against the Khagan of Khuterkin, restoring Vladimir’s borders, before Syrka has a chance to send any significant help south.

The only other significant event in those nine months was death of High Chief Yar 'the Tormentor' of Nidaros, the Steward of Merya. Yar was killed by his vassal, the ambitious Hemming of Nordland, in personal combat. Hemming continues to porve himself a danagerous man, but he remains, for now, the High Chief of Nidaros’ problem as his most powerful vassal, not the King of Merya’s problem. The new High Chief of Nidaros is Salinder Samayid, the son of Yar and a grandson of King Nuyat. High Chief Salinder of Nidaros holdings stretch from the coast of Noregr to lands on the eastern border of Suomi.

With Yar's death a new steward is once again needed, it seems the steward position was moving ahead of spymaster as the most dangerous seat on the Council. High Chief Wayngachi of Zavarot is chosen as the new Steward. He was not the best candidate, but instead was chosen to appease the powerful vassal and also introduce the distant vassal to the center of the Kingdom.

At the end of the nine months, King Syrka and Queen Pokshava welcome another son, who they named Viryas. He is a healthy boy without any of the problems Kinyak faces. Nuyaksha Robin’s son and his wife Badiat also welcome a son, who is named for the Nuyaksha’s father, Robin. Luckily, Nuyaksha and the rest of Yaroslavl think the boy is his.

 

[Dunaden]

960 - The Lettigallian Purge

“We need to deal with the Lettigallians.” Said High Chief Nuyaksha 'the Just' of Murom.

King Syrka looked over at his Voice, “Which Lettigallians?”

“Our Lettigallians, your vassal Chiefs. Most of them refused to answer your call to war when Vysheslav 'the Hunter' rebelled, they refuse to cooperate with the rest of your vassals and now they have joined the independence faction, greatly boosting its power. They have grown increasingly rebellious since you revoked Polotsk and Lukoml from Radoslavl, one of their fellow Romuvans.”

Nuyaksha sighed and went on, “King Nuyat shouldn’t have stopped with revoking the High Chief of Latgale from Gedere, he should have revoked all the Lettigallian Chiefs titles at the same time.” Shaking his head, “They have caused nothing but trouble and grief since they were brought into Merya.”

Syrka’s eyes narrowed, “Trouble and grief… such as electing some lowly hunter as King.”

Nuyaksha paled, “I, I meant no offense.”

Syrka laughed, “I kid. And I agree, the Lettigallians are no friends to the crown or to me. They continue to try and disrupt the Kingdom as they did when they cast their votes to make me King.”

“So how do we deal with them?”

Nuyaksha said, “There are only three choices, convert them, kill them, or revoke their titles.”

Are Ridala, the diviner, spoke, “They will never convert to our faith, they would rather fight and die. And if you kill them, their heirs will be no better.”

Syrka looked around, “So we must strip them of their lands and titles?”

The Councillors all agreed, except the new steward High Chief Wayngachi of Zavarot who didn’t say anything, as he was one of the border Chiefs who had actually been part of the independent faction with the Lettigallians until he had been appointed to the Council.

Nuyaksha went on, “The laws allow it due to their religious differences. It’s just a question of how they will react, rebel like Vysheslav 'the Hunter', or go quietly like Radoslav, and Gedere before him.”

Ozheg smiled, “Let them rebel, they are no match for the Merry Men, let alone the the rest of the Meryan levy.”

Wayngachi spoke up, “Then there is the other question.”

They all turned to look at him. Syrka asked “What other question?”

“Who will receive these lands after the Lettigallians are removed?”

Ozheg bristled and came to his feet, “The King will decide that that.”

Wayngachi nodded, “Of course, but with his recent acquisition of Lukoml and Vitebsk, adding six more titles from a distant corner of his realm, far from Yaroslavl, may be too difficult for him to manage personally and he may need to distribute those titles to more local Chiefs. Not I, of course, Zavarot is just about as far from the Lettigallians as you can get and still be in the same Kingdom.”

Syrka gestured to Ozheg to sit back down, “I have no intention of trying to hold onto all of these titles, they will be distributed to able and worthy men. But now is not the time to divide the spoils, let us at least wait until we have them in hand.”

Wayngachi bowed his head, “Of course, King Syrka.”

So one by one, the Lettigallian Chiefs were summoned to Yaroslavl and received the King’s call for revocation. First was the leader of the Lettigallian faction, Chief Valikaila ‘the Bull’ of Orsha, then Chief Vishly of Drutsk, and then the three Turov Chiefs Sabe of Slutsk, Karnak of Pinsk, Chief Vishly of Volkovysk, and finally, Chief Imanta of Vladimir Volynsky. There were angry words and threats, but in the end, none of them were given any chance to rebel. If they had been all been called together at one time, they might have united in rebellion, but individually, they knew they had no choice. They had all fought against the Meryans when King Nuyat had subjugated Latgale and had fought with the Meryans in the years since and they had also seen how quickly Vitebsk’s defiance had lasted. They would not throw away their men’s lives in a useless show of defiance.

The former Lettigallian Chiefs would be held in Yaroslavl until the new Chiefs claimed their lands to forestall any last minute second thoughts or acts of defiance.

In the end, Syrka went even a step further, he also revoked the temple holdings from the Romuva shamans in his new holdings, Shaman Golovke of Klotsk in Volkovysk, Shaman Narvait of Gomel in Slutsk, and Shaman Rurik of Luboml in Vladimir Volynsky.

Syrka moved quickly, with these six new Chiefdoms and three new temples, he now had controlled fourteen holdings directly. Realistically, he could only manage maybe seven without it distracting him from his duties as King. So he needed to distribute at least seven of his titles either to existing Chiefs or elevate unlanded men to take control of these lands. But which of the fourteen titles did he wish to release? The royal domains of Yaroslavl and Uglich he would of course keep, that left the three temples, the six newly acquired Chiefdoms, plus Lukoml, Vitebsk, and his original Chiefdom of Syktyvkar to choose from.

Within a month, Syrka held a great feast to celebrate their recent victories and to bestow various titles both minor and great. He gave away no clues as to who would be receiving what, he just invited everyone from the simple warriors who had served him well to the High Chiefs of Merya.

After much food and drink, Ozheg bellowed for everyone’s attention and the King began calling men forth to receive their new lands and titles.

He dealt with the temples first. After some consultation with his diviner Are Ridala he had chosen three candidates. The first was Potyava, a genius Meshchera woman. Despite the fact she is bearing a child out of wedlock, she is made priestess of Gomel in Slutsk. Next is a distant kinsman, a son of the High Chief of Tver named Chipaz. He is named Shaman Chipaz of Klotsk in Volkovysk. And finally, a commoner named Tul is granted the Temple of Luboml in the distant frontier of Vladimir Volynsky.

Then Syrka moved on to the higher titles. First, the most isolated land, the Chiefdom of Vladimir Volynsky, was granted to Syrka’s lone surviving uncle, a natural born son of his grandfather named Kezhedey Kezhedeyid. Kezhedey and his giant son, another Kezhedey, were the only close kin Syrka had left as his father, his half-brother, and his other uncles were all dead. Though a few aunts did remain. Syrka also arranged a wife for his cousin Kezhedey, Elyuva, one of the daughters of Tetyava 'the Merry'.

The Chiefdoms of Volkovysk and Pinsk along the Pripyat River were granted to Dergun 'the Ill-tempered' of Udine and Deryab 'the Hunter' respectively for their years of service. The House of Udine had served the Kardazids for generations and Dergun was currently one of Syrka’s commanders and father of Syrka’s newest friend Saksa of Udine. This assured that Saksa would become the next Chief of Volkovysk after his father. Deryab ‘the Hunter’ was actually the most skilled commander serving High Chief Parush of Mari. With this move, Syrka stripped his enemy Parush of his best man and bought that man’s loyalty for himself.

Finally, he turned to the Champion of Merya and the leader of the Merry Men, Robin of house Robin. To him was granted first the Chiefdom of Slutsk as well as the newly created High Chiefdom of Turov, making him liege to the new Chiefs Dergun and Deryab. This move not only awarded Robin for his long years of service to Merya, it also cemented the loyalty of the Merry Men to Syrka and provided Merya with a strong, proven leader to guard the western borders.

But Syrka had another motive unknown to all but himself and his lover Badiat. Raising up the Robin dynasty would provide for the future of the two children he could not acknowledge.

Orsha and Drutsk would remain part of Syrka’s Royal domain, along with Yaroslavl, Uglich, Syktyvkar, Lukoml and Vitebsk.

 

[Dunaden]

961 – 962 The Liberation of Minsk


The Council of Merya was in session.

“With your actions against the Lettigallians, the independence faction has disappeared within Merya.” Nuyaksha paused, glancing at High Chief Wayngachi of Zavarot, the only former member of the independence faction who still retained his lands and titles. Wayngachi seemed to shrink a little. “Also, the faction to install Chief Tul as King has also collapsed following one of its most powerful supporters leaving.” Wayngachi was looking decided uncomfortable, as he was a former supporter of Tul as well.

He spoke up, “My King, as I am sure you can understand, I was lured into these factions shortly after my sudden and confusing rise from being a simple Chieftain to becoming the High Chief of Zavarot

War Chief Ozheg scoffed, “Confusing? You conquered Zavarot and usurped the title.”

Wayngachi ignored the Hero, “I was led astray by the more experienced Chiefs into joining their factions. But as I became more familiar with your rule, I, of course, withdrew my support from these misguided endeavors. To show my gratitude for your forgiveness of my earlier transgressions, I was thinking we could construct a monument in your honor, here in Yaroslavl. To show all what a great ruler you are.”

The rest of the councillors started to mock him, but Syrka waved them down, “A monument, you say? Yes, go ahead, I would be interested to see that.”

Wayngachi sighed in relief, “Of course, it will take about a year, to put something together. Thank you for this opportunity to show my appreciation.”

Nuyaksha interrupted, “As I was saying, the collapse of these factions leaves only one small faction left, a faction that is wanting Chief Viryay of Kholm to replace you as King. This is led by High Chief Parush of Veliky Ustug, and has little support.”

Mastorava spoke up, “He is young and of little threat, and he just married a beautiful wife, Ngeva 'the Heavenly', so may soon forget all about this idea of playing kingmaker. But we shouldn’t do anything against him, this existing faction can be used to expose others who are unhappy with your rule. I would recommend doing something small to let him know you are taking note of him, but nothing threatening, maybe even a small honor to make him think you want to appease him, build up his ego.”

Nuyaksha replied, “We could award him some honorary title, say Master of the Bow.”

Syrka nodded, “That seems fine, do that.”

The Council then tok care of a few additional promotions, filling two empty commander spots, with a warrior named Ovtay and High Chief Salinder of Nidaros. And then filling three empty Elder seats. The War Chief and Syrka’s father-in-law Ozheg was given one, High Chief Tylze of Tver given one (though he was comatose and not expected to live much longer, but his family would appreciate the honor), and Nuyaksha Toke was given last spot.

Mastorava informed the council that Shindyay Kezhevatid is new Chief of Smolensk following death of his brother Pokshayka from depression. And that the boy High Chief Folki of Iceland or his regent, was trying to subjugate King Tyke 'the Usurper' of Vestlandet, a Germanic King.

The Council of Merya then decided Diviner Are would be sent to Lukoml to try and convert pagans in the newly conquered territory.

Finally, the talk turned to the continued revolt in Khazaria, where Tarkhan Bihorid was leading his revolt to claim Khazaria against Khagan Bihor II, the revolt had made little progress and was still evenly matched against the Khagan.

Ozheg said, “We should do more to take further advantage of Khazarian Revolt.”

Nuyaksha pointed out, “We have a truce with Tarkhan, so we would have to take on Khagan Bihor directly.”

Syrak asked, “Where would we go after him?”

“I think we should continue to consolidate our holdings in the west and concentrate efforts here”, Ozheg said, pointing at the map, “Minsk.”

Syrka nodded, “It would remove the threat from the west, eliminate most Khazar influences north of the Pripyat River.”

The Council was soon in agreement and with that Merya would begin attacking Khagan Bihor II of Khazaria in the Liberation of Minsk. All vassals were willing to join fight except Nidaros and Iceland. Syrka would be sitting out the war in Yaroslavl, at least initially, as he was undergoing another round of treatment for his gout. Naruchad Koshelid, one of Ozheg’s most promising young commanders, would be leading the first scouting parties into Minsk as the rest of the warriors began to gather in Lukoml.

Initially, King Syrka received regular reports from the front. Commander Naruchad spoke of a few small skirmishes near Minsk and in Vilnius. Then War Chief Ozheg took over the reporting as he and the allied forces had caught up with Commander Naruchad near Minsk and together they had successfully captured the village. Soon gold and prisoners from Minsk arrived in Yaroslavl.

This was followed by news of the successful siege of Vilnius and then a brief skirmish outside of Beresty, soon followed by the report of the capture of Beresty as well. Things seemed to be going well, but then the reports stopped coming.

Syrka was too busy to notice at the moment. He was dealing with issues in Yaroslavl. First, he had become involved with the large building project that was expanding the markets along the Volga River in Yaroslavl, hoping to increase his profits from the river trade. So he was spending a good portion of his day down in the market watching the construction of new stalls and warehouses, as well as expanding lodging for traders.

And then his Steward, High Chief Wayngachi unveiled the monument that he promised to build in Yaroslavl. Wayngachi's monument to Syrka is basically erotic art, showing a man and a woman having crude sex. Syrka was not from a big town like Yaroslavl with all of its decadent ways, but he was sure that that was not approiate for the town square. So Syrka immediately ordered the monument be removed. He even considered firing Wayngachi as Steward, but he reconsidered as he learned, despite his poor taste in art, Wayngachi was actually doing a good job as Steward.

Syrka was so disturbed by the monument, he even foregoes women for a time. So, he was taken by surprise and became suspicious when a a short time later his wife, Queen Pokshava, announced she was pregnant. Was that possible? Had it just taken her longer to realize she was pregnant than it had previously? Or had she succumbed to the decadent ways of Yaroslavl and taken a lover. He sends a maid to investigate, but she claims that his wife appears innocent.

But even that was pushed side when Mastorava of the Wilds is murdered. She didn’t die easily and her attacker was wounded and soon captured. He revealed before he died of his wounds that he had been acting on orders of High Chief Parush 'the Careless' of Mari, the last survivor of the original assassination plot against Syrka. Was Parush still trying to cover up his role in that plot? Or had Mastorava uncovered his involvement in a new plot?

But despite Mastorava’s role as spymaster and her personal importance to Syrka, being the first person to support him when he arrived in Yaroslavl, she was still only a commoner. He could not arrest a noble of Parush’s standing based on just the word of a dead assassin.

High Chief Parush actually had other problems, he was currently defending against an internal revolt led by Chief Tyushten of Kezhenets to replace Parush with a new High Chief. This revolt may have been instigated by Parush executing the previous Chief of Kezhenets.

All Syrka can do is send his new Spymaster, the Venerable Elder Nuyaksha Toke, to Mari and remind High Chief Parush of the obligations he owes to his King. Parush is quick to thank Syrka for the reminder and promise to stay out of any factions against the King. But Nuyaksha also learns there may be a plot against Queen Pokshava and her unborn child. Is this why Mastorava was murdered? Was Parush acting against his family this time? Or is this related to Syrka’s suspicions that Pokshava had taken a lover? Was her lover trying to cover up his treason?

So Syrka was already unhappy and worried even before he finally received news from the war front.

The Meryan warriors and Khazar horde had fought the first major battle of the Liberation of Minsk, but the Battle of Vilnius had gone very badly, because despite his troubles, Bihor II was still the son of Bihor the Wolf, and the Meryans are slaughtered, losing 10 men for every Khazar they managed to kill. The Meryans had gone into battle confident as they had the larger force, over 5,000 men more than the Khazars, but it had not been enough. 6,000 Meryan warriors were dead, including Syrka’s father in law and War Chief, the Hero Ozheg Artid, who had suffered a blow to the head and was carried from the field, only to die a few days later.

The Meryan army had retreated and tried to regroup in Beresty, but the Khazars gave them no opportunity to recover and another 4,000 Meryans had been slaughtered. The Meryan army was scattered and broken. Yet surprisingly, the Khazar horde didn’t follow up on their victories and free the villages that the Meryans had captured earlier, instead they immediately returned east to continue fighting Tarkhan's rebel Khazars.

Syrka had to first break the news to his pregnant wife, who was already having a difficult pregnancy, that her father was dead. Despite his suspicions of her fidelity, she was his wife of 20 years and the mother of his children and he did what he could to comfort her. Then he called High Chief Robin out of his retirement and made him the new War Chief of Merya.

​

But it would be six months before they could mount a new fighting force and return to the war.

 

[Dunaden]

962 – 965 Liberation of Minsk (part 2)

Syrka was meeting with High Chief Robin of Turov to discuss the disaster last fall at Vilnius and the next step in the war for Minsk. I should have been there. Syrka thought, but he knew it wouldn’t have mattered. With his joints all swollen and painful with gout, he would have just died there with his father-in-law.

High Chief Robin, Syrka’s new War Chief, seemed to read his mind, “It seems every generation of Meryans must learn anew how to fight, and how not to fight, the Khazars. Ozheg had fought the Ashina in the eastern forests in his youth and won much honor and glory. And he also had success in the Liberation of Polotsk against Tarkhan’s riders in the forests of Lukoml. But he had never faced a nomad horde on their chosen ground, under the open sky. And there, on the open plains, such as those outside of Vilnius, the Khazar mounted archers reign supreme.”

“Most of the Meryan leaders have learned that lesson the hard way. High Chief Kubrat paid for that sword you wear at your side with the blood of 2,000 Meryan lives when he learned his lesson at the Battle of Zubstov. King Erziya ‘the Bold’ lost 6,000 men at the Battle of Izborsk and another 1,000 at Mstislavl defending Estonia from the Khazar horde. Though being the man that he was, he still snatched victory out of the jaws of those disasters. King Dergun ‘the Faceless’ learned that lesson while fighting alongside his father at Izborsk and was reminded of it every day after as he donned that mask to hide his disfigured face, courtesy of a steppe pony’s hoof. King Virdyan ‘the Usurper’ lost over 5,000 men to Khazaria at the Battles of Latgala and Liiviimaa, during the war for the Liberation of Pskov. King Nuyat….King Nuyat was the only one to master war on the steppe without a harsh lesson. He defeated the Ashina rebels on the border of the steppe in his war to claim Votyaki. After that he was smart enough to scoop up those who had escaped from Khazaria’s rule and not challenge the nomads again directly.

“Yet take heart, King Syrka, for despite those hard lessons, all of your predecessors ultimately won their wars. They learned, and so must we.”

Syrka smiled, “Thank you Robin, that is encouraging to know, even our greatest of leaders didn’t allow such setbacks to keep them from victory”

“So where do we stand?”

Robin nodded, “First, the Merry Men were hit hard, we lost close to a third of their number at Vilnius. What’s worse, because of Khazars close pursuit and second attack at Beresty, we were not able to recover their arms and armor, we suspect they are now decorating felt tents out on the steppe.”

Syrka asked, “What does that mean?”

Robin sighed, “That means, before that battle the Merry Men could field 2,200 men in full battle kit. Now, after these losses, the most the warband can field is some 1,600 men, unless you are able to pay to arm and equip new companies to replace those that were lost.

Syrka looked uncomfortable, knowing that many of the men who were lost had been with Robin for years, decades even. “We can’t afford the expenditure right now, but we will raise new companies in the future.”

Robin nodded, “In that case, we will have to make up the losses with levys, both your personal ones, as well as from your vassals and allies. But I think by the spring thaw we should have close to 10,000 men ready to march.”



All winter, while the new levys were gathering and the stragglers from the defeated army staggered back to the rally point in Vitebsk, life continued in Yaroslavl.

One of the former hostages from Latgale, Skornand Vidins, embraces Mordvin culture. Syrka tries to help settle an argument between High Chief Nuyaksha of Murom and his wife, but Nuyaksha does not welcome his interference. Varaka Kardazid and Cherava Meryvavid have a daughter Poshayka. A more civilized Khazar, the High Chief of Khozistan, wants non-aggression pact. After two embarrassing defeats at the hands of the Khazar, Syrka agrees. High Chief Nuyaksha of Mochkava, the current heir, is appointed as Commander to replace Robin following his promotion to War Chief. Malusha Kryvich is born and will be taught Merya's religion and culture.

The Udine clan continues to grow. A beautiful girl, Tekay of Udine, is born to Uchva and Liubava. And Viryas of Udine, comes of age, a master of diplomacy, a Grey Emminence, and he marries his betrothed, Zvenislava Kryvich.

Syrka’s eldest son had also come of age. Tunya Kardzid has become a tough-minded soldier, but was dull of personaily and fragile of body, not what Syrka hoped. Syrka’s second son, Tutyra, turned 12 years old and will be trained for war by High Chief Wayngachi. But more importantly to the King, he now has a sixth son, his seventh legitimate and acknowledged child, who is named Syrka, who had been born just after the new year began.

And far to the east, Perm has been looted by raiders.

Then the winter was over and the Meryan army had regrouped in Vitebsk and were once more moving to the Minsk area. After a brief skirmish in Slonim, Novogrodek is captured. All targets of the liberation war are now held by Merya.

But then there was an unexpected setback. The War Chief, Champion of Merya and High Chief of Turov, Robin, died a natural death at age of 70. The Meryan army has once again lost its leader. Luckily, this time it was not in the heat of battle, so adjustments could be made. Syrka chose High Chief Salinder of Nidaros as the new War Chief and he was sent west to take command of the war.

Robin’s son, Nuyaksha, becomes the new High Chief of Turov, and Syrka's lover Badiat is now High Chieftess, and Syrka's secret son, Robin, is heir to Turov. Before Badiat had left to join her husband in his new home, she had told Syrka she was pregnant again with a third child of Syrka's. Syrka had planned to visit Badiat during her pregnancy, but it was more difficult to arrange and justify as she was now in Turov with her husband. But before he could find a good excuse to visit, learns of some terrible news. Badiat has died of cancer and their unborn child has died with her. Syrka is forced to mourn and suffer alone as no one else ever knew of their affair, and he can’t risk a public display that might threaten the future of the two surviving children they had conceived together.

Under War Chief Salinder the Liberation of Minsk resumes. Slonim in Novogrodek falls in siege and then the Meryans head east toward more Khazarian territory. Chernigov is captured next. The wife of the Khan of the Tarmaçid was taken prisoner at Chernogov along with a dozen others, 5 are worthy of ransom. They are all sent back to Yaroslavl and negotiations for ransoms begin, starting with the Khanum.

​

Meanwhile, the Meryans have moved to Priluk, the main Khazarian encampment. It is quickly captured, but none of the Khagan’s family are taken prisoner. With no sign of the Khazar horde, the Meryans pull back to home territory for the winter.

That winter two Catholic missionaries arrive in Yaroslavl. The first is a man named Dytryk, from Poland, sent by King Jakusz, or his regency council anyway. As all the missionaries before him, he is quickly imprisoned. The regents of Poland refuse to pay his ransom, so he will remain in Syrka’s dungeons.

The second missionary to arrive is Bishop Iuan of Maelruusan in service to King Achiuir of Pictland. Bishop Iuan had come to Yaroslavl before, almost a decade earlier, but he is brave enough and dedicated enough to return once again try and convert the pagan people. He too is arrested. Once again, Bishop Iuan pays for his own release, and Syrka warns him to never to return. But the Bishop says he goes where King Achiuir 'the Brute’ of Pictland and God send him. Syrka also asks if he was willing to pay for his fellow missionay’s release, but Bishop Iuan refuses and leaves Dytryk behind. So much for Christian charity.

Tetyava the younger, daughter of Tetyava 'the Merry', returned to Yaroslavl following the death of her husband from Great Pox. Chief Tuure of Kemi, son of the late King of Suomi, was not a faithful husband and life in the last few years had been tough as the disease drove him mad. Their newborn son, Onni, was also afflicted by the Pox, and Tetyava was forced to abandon the boy when a new Chief claimed Kemi.

It was about this time that the Venerable Elder and spymaster, Nuyaksha Toke, dies from a disagreement with a meal. Syrka was in need of a new spymaster. Surprising many in Merya he chooses a young woman, Cherava Meryavid, the wife of the late King Nuyat’s son, Varaka and a new mother. She is strong and devious woman, not easily flustered and patient. But in a strange turn of events she only remains spy master for a few months. Unlike most of her predecessors, she is isn’t killed, she retires at the age of 23.

Not long after Cherava becomes spymaster, High Chief Parush 'the Careless’ of Mari, Syrka’s long-time rival vanishes without a trace. He is never found, and his fate remains a mystery. Syrka would have thought no more about it, other than being happy his enemy is finally gone. But in a surprising twist, Varaka, the husband of Syrka's new spymaster, is elected as the new High Chief of Mari and Syrka's spymaster, Cherava, is now High Chieftess of Mari. Did she use her new position as Spymaster to arrange Parush's disappearance? Syrka is not sure whether to thank her or arrest her. Either way, she has resigned her position and is on her way to Mari and Syrka once again needs a new spymaster. After looking through potential candidates for spymaster, he offers the position to Briachislav, the husband of Tetyava 'the Merry'. The Vohlynian, for all his skill at intrigue and his connections throughout Merya, was one of the most gifted and worthy men in Yaroslavl.

Syrka’s vassals remained busy with their own affairs outside of the war. High Chief Nuyaksha of Mochkava usurps Tynea and Perm from his Sunni vassal Biur. High Chief Folki of Iceland is under attack from High Chief Salindor over the Chiefdom of Nidaros. And Chief Erziya of Mozhaysk has one his own liberation war and usurped the Chiefdoms of Vorotynsk, Novosil, and Serpukhov from Pakstyan Velmaykid.

The war resumed in the spring, Upyte is taken from the Khazar rebels and more prisoners are taken for ransom, including the Queen Mother Ipek. Then Bryansk captured by Merya, and then Pochep is captured by Merya. There still has been no sign of the Khazar horde since the disasters at Vilnius and Beresty over two years earlier.

But the Meryans do have an ill-fated clash with Tarkhan’s Khazar rebels. The Meryan army and the rebels had met unexpexctedly at Karachev. While they were not technically at war and had a common enemy, they immediately are joined in battle. The Meryans actually had close to twice the rebel nunbers as the fight began, but by the end it was a close fought battle. Unfortunately, the Meryans break first and are slaughtered in the retreat, losing a costly battle that would have won them nothing. The survivors retreat north into the safety of the Forest.

Syrka releases the survivors and sends them home, and instead raises fresh levys to renew the war effort.

Then the Khazar horde has finally returns, and moves first to free its main encampment at Priluk. The Liberation of Minsk was going well, but the return of the Khazar horde may upset that progress. After the defeats at Vilnius and Beresty and their loss to the rebels at Karachev, Syrka is wary of meeting the horde in battle, but it looks like he doesn’t need to fear. The control of Minsk is key to victory and Merya has held it for over two years. But after the Khazar horde next frees Pronsk, they are still far from Minsk and they make no move to free Minsk or the rest of their lands. Their actions seem more angled toward improving their chances against Tarkhan’s rebellion, which has dragged on for close to 10 years, and the other two wars they are involved in. They appear to be ignoring Merya all together.

​

After consulting with the Council, Syrka sends an envoy to Khagan Bihor II to negotiate a peace between them. Minsk has been in Meryan hands long enough and the Khagan agrees to release it. The Liberation War for Minsk is over.

 

[Dunaden]

965 – 967 Peace, Trade, and Far Horizons

The Liberation of Minsk had given King Syrka a new vassal, High Chief Pukuveras 'the Unchaste' of Minsk, freed from subjugation of Khazaria. But it turns out Pukuveras, a Lithuanian, is a thoroughly disreputable man, who suffers from gluttony and paranoia, and is a kinslayer to boot. Syrka had no desire to deal with such a man. Luckily, Pukuveras is also a follower of the Romuvan Gods. So Syrka is free to continue his pogrom against foreign vassals and revokes the High Chiefdom of Minsk on religious grounds from Pukuveras. Pukuveras agree to the request, but for good measure Syrka revokes Minsk from him as well on the same grounds, stripping the man of the last of his lands and sending him south to Lithuania.

However, Pukuveras' one vassal was Chief Paksyut of Novogrodek, who is a different situation. Paksyut is a Mescheran, and a follower of Ukko, so he is allowed to keep his lands and titles and to swear allegiance to King Syrka and to Merya.

The Liberation of Minsk has also led to King Syrka once again appearing threatening to his neighbors, leading to the return of defensive pacts against Merya. The first brought to Syrka’s notice is King Dobrinya 'the Moaner' of Galicia-Volhynia and his new pagan defensive pact against King Syrka. Soon more would follow, but as Syrka has no immediate plans for additional expansion, the pacts can be safely ignored.

The War had ended during the winter and Syrka had enjoyed the peaceful winter and early spring, but then some bad news arrived that disrupted his peaceful routine. His former commander, Dergun of Udine, who had been granted the Chiefdom of Volkovysk in Turov, had died. While Syrka had not been especially close to Dergun 'the Ill-tempered', he was great friends with his son, Saksa of Udine. Saksa had been one of Syka’s closest companions for years. With Syrka’s reduced mobility due to his ongoing suffering from gout, it had been great to have Saksa at his side, keeping him entertained and telling him the local gossip and goings on throughout Yaroslavl. But with his father’s death, Saksa had become the new Chief of Volkovysk and would now have to leave Yaroslavl to take up his duties to both his people, as well as, to his direct liege, High Chief Nuyaksha of Turov.

While Syrka was sure Saksa would do well, he would miss his young friend. So he decided to give him a gift. Saksa had been married to Seyamka Velmaykid for over 10 years and she had not yet given him a child, so Syrka offers Saksa one of the prisoners that had been taken in the recent war, a young Khazar woman named Çeçki. Perhaps she could help him start a family.

Saksa thanks Syrka for the gift and asks one more boon, as a friend. Syrka agreed, but is shocked when Saksa asks only that Syrka take better care of himself and to change his eating habits, as Saksa won’t be there to look after him anymore. Syrka solemnly promises to at least try.

Before Saksa finally departs, Syrka remembers a rumor he had heard. After Badiat’s death, High Chief Nuyaksha of Turov had taken a new wife, Khatyako Ngayid, a Nenets girl, but it appears that the girl had not been as pure as had been reported. When she arrived in Turov, it was discovered she was suffering from the pox. While Nuyaksha had kept his promise and married the girl, he had banned her from his bed. Since Saksa was traveling to Turov, Syrka decided to have him escort a gift for Nuyaksha as well, a clean and healthy concubine, another Khazar girl. Syrka was feeling a little guilty that all of Nuyaksha’s children were actually his, and he hoped at least this way there might still be descendents of the great Hero Robin around in the future.

After Saksa departure, Syrka was feeling a bit lonely, but he finally decided to do something about it. First, he looked at his remaining prisoners, and chose the beautiful Liubava Vykantasovna of House Vidins as a concubine for himself. Liubbava was an older woman of 32, with two sons who had not had anyone willing to pay her ransom. She was a Severian woman, a follower of the Romuvan gods. Syrka hoped to she would keep him company and possibly teach him a little more of his recent foes.

Syrka also had a recent arrival in Yaroslavl, a noble warrior named Uzhara Uzharid appointed as commander of his personal guard. He would take on Saksa’s role as his eyes and ears to the local goings on in Yaroslavl and report back to Syrka.

And so, for a time, a period of peace came to Merya. People were still living and dying, but in the 12 years since Syrka was crowned, it would be the first extended period of time where he wasn’t fighting a war, putting down a revolt, or planning the next conquest. This was good as the Merry Men were still recovering and under strength and it would take some time for again reach their peak.

So, Syrka sat in his hall and listened to the news coming from his Kingdom.

A Buddhist missionary named Ipaos, sent by Khagan Ipa of Çepti arrived in Yaroslavl. While intrigued by a missionary from the east, in the end, Syrka treated him no differently than he had treated the Catholic missionaries and had him imprisoned. His Khagan refused to pay his ransom, so Ipsios remained in the dungeon for now.

Meanwhile, High Chief Tylze of Tver was murdered by Parava Varakid, though no one ever mentioned why. Tylze’s son, the current heir to the throne of Merya, High Chief Nuyaksha of Mochkava, inherited the High Chiefdom of Tver following his father’s death, making him one of the most powerful vassals in the Kingdom. He made Tver his primary title, styling himself High Chief Nuyaksha of Tver. Was he involved in his father’s death? And if so, should Syrka be worried that Nuyaksha might be just as impatient to inherit his crown as well? High Chief Nuyaksha's county of Perm was being raided. Syrka left it up to Nuyaksha to deal with the raiders, anything to keep him distracted.

Another vassal, Chief Surt 'the Bewitched' has also died from stress. His son Saksa claimed the Chiefdoms of Merya and Tikhvine.

Syrka’s son, 6-year Kinyak’s lessons will be focused on his heritage, perhaps he has the makings of a shaman. With his weak physique, he is not expected to be a warrior. His kinswoman, Rashida Kardazid, the youngest daughter of the late King Nuyat and his concubine, Asiya, is 17 years old and a bit crazy. Syrka decides it was time she married, preferably far from Yaroslaval. But for the moment, Syrka couldn’t find anyone willing to marry the deranged child.

Syrka’s revocation of the various titles had brought many of the dependents from those various Chiefdoms to Yaroslavl. Unfortunately, when he granted those titles to new chiefs, those dependents had not gone with the new titles, but remained in his home. But Syrlka was doing his best to make them fit in and hopefully become useful. To that end he was having all of the children indocrintated into the local culture and religion as most of them were Lettigallian or Ilmenian and followed the wrong gods. Slowly, but surely thie teaching were getting through. For example, 6-year old Trifon Kryvich had embraced Mordvin culture, no longer seeing himself as an Ilmenian. While Boleslava Kryvich and Sbyslava Vidins have both embraced the Suomenusko Gods, abandoning their former Slavic and Romuvan religions.

Syrka also had time to fill some posts within Yaroslalvl that had been left unattended. First a new healer was chosen, Chief Valto of Belo Ozero. He was said to be a man of great learning and no vices, someone Syrka could trust to help him with his health issues. The last years had seen the passing of many Venerable Elders. So Syrka honored a new batch of men with the honorary positions. These included the Nenets High Chief Nabtiko 'the Mule' of Zyriane, the Mescheran High Chief Vechkas of Velsk, one of Syrka’s commanders Ovtay, and finally Syrka’s spymaster, the Volhynian, Briachislav. This was a group of men with a wide range of experience who could provide the King with sage advice.

While Merya was at peace, other Kardazid Kings were under attack. King Khaireddin of Nenetsia is defending himself against High Chieftess Bjorg of Upland in her attemped conquest of Ingria. While the boy King Nalka of Estonia is facing High Chief Refil of Smäland in their attempted conquest of Liivimaa.

​

Another year passed and Syrka was feeling better, thanks to the better diet he stuck to as well as the care of his new healer Chief Valto. Life continued.

There was good news. Uchva of Udina and wife Liubava have a son they name Uchva. And a daughter was born to Kezhedey of Man and his wife Liga gata Vitebsk, named Kunava of Man. Syrka’s son Tutyra s came of age, a strong tactician, brave, ambitious, greedy, and humble. Truth be told, a better man than his older brother.

After a short betrothal Tutyra was married to Kordula Penikis, the bastard sister of Chief Gerden of Lyubech. While her low birth and her Lettigallian heritage was a concern, Syrka overlooked all that, as she was said to be a exceptionally gifted girl, a genius, they said. Chief Gerden delivered the girl to Yaroslavl for the wedding and the feast. During the feast a travelling poet entertained the happy couple. Syrka was impressed by his skill and invited him to stay as long as he liked and Syrka complimented High Chief Nuyaksha 'the Just' of Murom who had recommended the bard.

But the good was, as usual, balanced by the bad. First, Chief Valto discovered that Syrka's newest concubine Liubava had contracted the great pox, luckily before Syrka was infected. Not only had she cheated on him, she had put his health at risk. Syrka set her aside immediately and began looking for a way to get her out of his sight for good. Then Varaka Kardazid was forced to abdicate as High Chief of Mari, the title was given to High Chief Nuyaksha of Tver. Nuyaksha’s power and ambitions were continuing to grow. Syrka could do little as High Chief Nuyaksha had considerable support as heir to Merya.

Then Syrka lost another spymaster, when the Venerable Elder Briachislav, husband to Tetyava 'the Merry', died of cancer. Syrka was just happy that he hadn’t been killed in the line duty, indicating some horrible plot was brewing. Syrka turned to High Chief Nabtiko 'the Mule' of Zyriane, another venerable elder, as the new spymaster.

That death was followed by the death of Syka’s newest vassal, Chief Paksyut of Novogrodek who died of a heart attack. Paksyut’s kinsman Pakstyan became the new Chief. Unfortunately he is a Lithuanian follower of Romuvan gods. Syrka considers immediately revoking Novogrodnek on religious grounds, but doesn’t want to disturb the peace in Merya if Pakstyan refuses. There would be time to do it later.

The Torzhokid clan had some internal disputes, which led to Chief Orunza of Chlisselbourg usurping the High Chiefdom of Veps from his kinsman Viryay, but Viryay retained Chief of Torzhok.

Finally, an unexpected offer came for the hand of Rashida Kardazid, the mad daughter of the late King Nuyat. It seems that King Mordvinko of Vladimir had died of natural causes. High Chief Purysho of Pskov has inherited the Kingdom of Vladimir. This had resulted in the High Chiefdom of Pskov being pulled out of the Kingdom of Nentsia and becoming a part of the Kingdom of Vladimir, which severely weakened Nenetsia and almost doubled Vladimir’s strength.

Now the new King was asking for the hand of Rashida to become his new Queen. Syrka quickly agreed, glad to be rid of the mad woman. It was only later pointed out to him, after she was gone, that King Purysho was collecting claims and allies. Purysho's father Velmayka had been King of Estonia, giving him a claim on Estonia and now he had married Rashida who had claims on both Nenetsia and Merya itself. And as King Khaireddin’s full sister, Rashida provided King Pursyho with an alliance with Nenetsia.

With Syrka’s improving health he wanted to get out of Yaroslavl. He hadn’t left in 12 years except to fight in wars. He wanted to do something which didn’t include violence. Syrka's Steward, High Chief Wayngachi 'the Wise' of Zavarot provided him with an answer by asking if King Syrka wished to try his hand at trade. High Chief Wayngachi 'the Wise' had plan for a business venture, an expedition to open new trade routes. Syrka’s interest is peaked and he agrees.

Wayngachi explains that there would be some intial expenditures to get the venture off the ground, but he was sure they would make a profit in the end. The first thing they would need is a ship, not one of the riverboats used to ply trade along the Volga, but a proper oceangoing vessel, as Wayngachi plans to go west to the Britain to follow an opportunity he had learned of. Wayngachi mentions that he knows some pirates who could provide a ship for a very reasonable sum, if no questions were asked. But Syrka decides against that approach and provides the funds to purchase a ship outright.

When the news gets out, several shamans approached Strka and said they wish to join the expedition, to gain a better understanding of the wider world. Syrka reluctantly agrees to let them come, but only after they offer to pay their own way.

The expedition did not set off until the following spring, once the northern waters were free of ice. The expedition followed the Volga north to Lake Onega and then took the Svir River that connected Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga and finally sailed out into the open waters of the Gulf of Finland. From there they sailed west through Norse infested waters until they reached the North Sea. Then they first headed north along the coast to Merya’s territories of Nidaros, taking on supplies and a pilot who knew the waters around Britain. Then they began the long voyage across the North Sea to the shores of Britain. Their pilot guided them to Thames and they sailed up to London. From there, they went overland to meet with the independent Earl Aethelraed of Bedford.

After a nights’ rest, the negotiations began. First, Syrka presented his host with a gift of fine cloth and thick furs from the Forests of Merya . Then the Earl invited the Meryan party to a feast. However, that almost ruined everything when the Earl was offended by High Chief Wayngachi's tables manners, but Syrka quickly smoothed things over by explaining Wayngachi was an uncultured Nenets barbarian from the edge of the Siberian wastes and was not used to such a fine place as Bedford. While Wayngachi looked unhappy, Aethelraed was appeased and things went smoothly for the rest of the evening.

In the morning, Syrka was able to head off another potential crisis when he breaks up a theological debate between one of the shaman and a local noble, before it escalates into violence, or worse, accusations of heresy.

After a week of hunting, fishing, drinking and eating, King Syrka and Earl Aethelraed finally conclude a trade deal. A Bedford-Yaroslavl trade route is established. This will bring wealth to Yaroslavl for the next 30 years. Syrka gains considerable gold and prestige from this deal, immediately offsetting the cost of the ship and the expedition and leaving him with a tidy profit. High Chief Wayngachi of Zavarot, the steward is also rewarded for his part in expedition, helping alleviate his hurt feelings from the feast.

As they set sail for home, Syrka remarks to the pilot that he has probably traveled further west than just about anyone in his Kingdom, and he is shocked when the man laughs in his face. The pilot quickly explains, “My King, you have not even traveled west of the borders of Merya, your vassal High Chief Folki holds Iceland, which is far to the north and west of where we are now.”

Syrka is shocked to realize just how far his Kingdom truly stretches.

 

[Dunaden]

968-971 King Nalka ‘Ironside’ of Estonia (the first Estonian War)

Syurka returned to Yaroslavl from the trade expedition feeling pretty pleased with himself and what they had accomplished. He made sure High Chief Wayncachi received money and recognition for the part he had played in organizing and guiding the venture. But as he was rewarding Wayngachi, he realized there was a bigger debt that he still owed.

He called for High Chief Nuyaksha of Murom as soon as he arrived back in Yaroslavl.

Nuyayksha looked nervous as he entered the throne room. Syrka didn’t know what was bothering him, and didn’t realy care, “Nuyaksha,“ he said to the Vice of Merya “I have been thinking about debts and obligations and …”

But before he could go any further Nuyaksha dropped to his knees and cried out, “Forgive me, my King, I swear I never actually supported any of the factions. “ Syrka was too stunned by the outburst to say anything, so Nuyaksha continued in a rush, “ Chief Orunza is delusional, putting himself forward as King. And Khaireddin is a fine young man, but he has his own Kingdom and seems at times overwhelmed by that, putting him on the throne of Merya as well would be too much him. And, of course, you are doing a fine job as King. And independence, that is even crazier. My lands of Murom border Khazaria, if I became independent, they would swallow me up in a heartbeat. Even now Murom is plagued by raiders, if I was outside of Merya’s protection, it would be a full-scale invasion. I swear I am not and will not support any of the factions conspiring against you.”

Syrka was at a loss, finally, he said. “Um, very good. Glad we settled that. Another thing I wanted to talk to you about was Estonia.”

“Estonia?”

“Yes, how is the boy, King Nalka, doing?”

Nuyaksha regained his composure and thought for a moment, “Well he’s no longer a boy for one, I think he is 17 or 18 now. But things are not going well. High Chief Refil ‘the Brave’ of Smäland has almost forced Nalka to surrender Liivimaa in his attempted conquest. And now King Juvage of Lithuanian is attemping to subjugate all of Estonia, and has seized several of the Estonian villges already. And I think there is another Chieftain trying to take some of more of his land.”

​

Syrka nodded, “So we will have to act fast, I want you to offer King Nalka assistance in his wars, starting with the most pressing one, Smäland. “

Nuyaksha rose to his feet, “Of course, right away.” He hesitated, “But may I ask why?”

Syrka frowned, “I could say that we owe it as kinsmen to support our cousin, King Nalka, to show the world that the Kardazids are united against foreign invaders. Or just say we are supporting others who follow the Suomenusko Gods.”

Nuyaksha nodded, “Both are noble sentiments.”

Syrka continued, “But truthfully, I owe his mother a debt that I need to repay.”

Nuyaksha looked puzzled, then he said, “The witch?”

Syrka scowled, “Mastorava of the Wilds came to my aid when I first arrived and helped me avoid a plot on my life. And she continued to aid me right up until the day she was murdered in my service. Helping her son is the only way I have to repay her.”

Nuyaksha looked properly contrite, “Of course, King Syrka, I will send a messenger to King Nalka immediately, offering Merya’s aid against his enemies.”

Syrka stopped him, “Wait, it is not enough.”

Nuyaksha turned back, “What do you mean? Going to war for him is not enough?”

“No, it is not.” Syrka said. “I owe her my life. Defending Estonia to protect the Kardazids and to protect the Gods is something I should be doing anyway. Merya has done it before. I can’t do something I should be doing and cal it paying off a debt. No, it must be a life for a life.”

Nuyaksha waited, “My King?”

Syrka looked up, “You will also offer King Nalka the hand of my only daughter, Sochava, to be his wife.”

While bands of Meryan warriors began to stream westward in anticipation of King Nalka accepting the offer of aid, Syrka caught up on the other news from the months he had been away.

Uchva of Udina, Saksa’s cousin, and his wife Liubava had a baby girl they named Cherava and Liubava is already pregnant with another child. One of the young refugees, Trifon Kryvich, had embraced the Suomenusko Gods, while Boleslava Kryvich has embraced Mordvin culture, and a third Kryvich, Malusha, has embraced both the culture and religion of Merya.

There are new rulers in Izborsk and Vologda. Chumbulat of Man has replaced his older brother, who had taken ill and died, as Chief of Izborsk. And Deryab Kardazid has usurped the High Chiefdom of Vologda from Chief Pokshayka of Kostroma. Meanwhile, High Chief Nuyaksha of Turov has attacked young King Jakusz of Poland and swiftly won a war of conquest and usurped Grodno from Przemyslaw Kujawski, expanding Merya’s borders further west.

Wayngachi ‘the Wise’ received some disturbing news, it seemed his people did not like his prolonged absence from Zavarot, first the time he had spent in Yaroslavl as Syrka’s steward, and then the extended absence on the trade expedition to Bedford. Wayngachi returned to Merya to find he had been replaced as High Chief of Zavarot by his son, Vesei. The lands he had conquered were stripped from him by his scheming son and vassals. Wayngachi took the gold that Syrka had rewarded him and disappeared. No one knew whether he would use it to plot his return to power, or to enjoy a comfortable retirement. This left Syrka without a steward, so he turned to his eccentric uncle, Chief Kezhedey of Vladimir Volynsky, to join the Council as Steward of Merya.

To the south, the Khazarian Revolt still continues, and Syrka's truce with Tarkhan of the Khazarian revolt will soon expire. It is hard to believe that the revolt has lasted over 10 years. Chief Mänäs of Burtasy took advantage of the continued chaos in Khazaria to declare his independence, further weakening Khazaria.

And just beyond Merya’s southwestern border, High Chief Voislav 'the Just' of Red Ruthenia has led his people to abandon the Slavic Gods and become Shia with the support of his neighbor, Caliph Zeyd II Fadlid. This adds another religion into a region that is already overflowing with competing religions. The Shia faith joins the Catholic, Slavic, Romuva, Norse, Tengri and Suomenusko Gods in their competition for the devotion and worship of the local people.

As soon as Merya received word of King Nalka’s acceptance of aid, they crossed the border into Estonia and fell upon the the unsuspecting Smälanders. They hit them first at Gaujiena, 8,900 Meryan and Estonian warriors against the 3,500 Swedes driving them south with heavy losses. The Meryans descended on Livs to free the village from the enemy garrison. It was spring by the time the siege was over and the Smälander army had returned laying siege to Liivimaa. They were quickly routed was routed. Another 1250 Meryans skipped the battle and stayed in Läänemaa to free the rest of the area from the Smälander garrisons.

With the Smälanders again driven from Estonia, the Meryan warbands withdrew across the border into Talava to wait for their return. They did not want to be a burden on the wartorn Estonian people and could be better supplied in Talava.

Two months later, the Smälanders returned and the Meryans crossed into Estonia again and met them at Gaujiena. 500 Smälanders were killed, while the Meryans lost only 42 warriors. Plus, one of the enemy commanders, Eskild of Werben, was captured in the battle by the heroic efforts of a warrior named Pokshayka Kreuzburgid. Pokshayka would soon join Syrka in Yaroslavl.

In Yaroslavl, Syrka had become a grandfather as his grandson Shkay Kardazid was born to his son Tutyra. Syrka’s son Ozheg turned 12 and Syrka decided he would receive a martial education similar to his namesake. Syrka’s concubine and diviner, Are Ridala, also announced that she was pregant.

Liubava gave birth to a son, Nuyaksha of Udine. And Chitska Yaroslavlid came of age, Mastorava of the Wilds’ only daughter. Syrka was paying back part of the debt he owed Mastorava by supporting her son Nalka, but he must not neglect her daughter, who was cheated out of her Kardazid birthright because she had been born after her father King Nuyat’s death. He hoped to find her a good marriage some day soon.

Syrka also learned that High Chief Folki of Iceland had been murdered, making his 10-year old nephew, Borkvard, High Chief of Iceland. Remembering from his voyage how distant Iceland was, Syrka decided to take the young High Chief on as his ward, to try to bring this distant vassal closer to Merya and also wean him away from his Norse and Germanic upbringing, make him a good Mordvin vassal.

Just after the new year another battle was fought against the Smälanders at Narva. This one was even more of a slaughter than Gaujiena. Only 7 Meryans died, while over 500 Smälanders were killed. The Smälanders were on the run, and the war was going well.

While Merya had been guarding Estonia from the Smälanders. King Nalka and the Estonians had gone south to take the fight to their other foe, the King of Lithuania and his war to subjugate all of Estonia. Nalka had driven the Lithuanian armies before him and laid siege to Zemgale, soon capturing it. His efforts and habit of leading his men into battle, yet emerging unscathed, soon earned him the nickname Nalka ‘Ironside’.

But a new threat had arisen against Estonia, another Norseman, the High Chief of Skane, had launched his own attack on Estonia. With the Meryans chasing the Smälanders and the Estonians fighting in the south against Lithuania, the Scanians were able to establish a beach head at Läänemaa virtually unopposed.

But two pieces of news would distract Syrka away from Estonia’s troubles. The first had little effect on Merya, but was of great interest to the most of the peoples to the west. Kaiser Ferdinand of the Holy Roman Empire was slain in battle by Mayr Assur of Marvejols. This left the Empire in the hands of a new French Emperor, the former Duke of Dauphine, Chramnesind ‘the Frog’. The new Emperor was supposedly a brilliant strategist and a hardworking, decent man, but there were rumors that he would not be Emperor for long, that cancer was already eating away at him from the inside.

Of much greater importance to Merya was the second piece of news. In a stunning turn of events, Khagan Bihor ‘the Evil’ of Khazaria had abandoned the horde. The Yabghurnakh Clan that had led the Khazarian horde for over 150 years were simply riding away to settle in rich lands far to the south. Bihor ‘the Evil’ had declared himself Khan of Al Jazira and abandoned nomadic life to become a feudal king, establishing his capitol on the eastern shores of the Black Sea. He decided it was safer to hide in a stone castle than a felt yurt. With Bihor went all the heirlooms and trophies collected by Khazaria over the centuries. The horde would never recover from this loss of identity.

His abdication left chaos in its wake. The Khazarian revolt finally ended without a resolution as the target of revolt fled. The leader of the newest Khazar Clan, the Çatid, proclaimed himself Khagan Çat of Khazaria, claiming Khagan Bihor’s last act had been to pass the title to him. But not all the Khazars accepted this new self-proclaimed Khagan. In the northwest, the Itaid clan have followed Khagan Itakh, but they are weak and surrounded by enemies. A few other Chiefs and Khans declared their independence, including Chief Khuterkin of Syrt, as well as the Chief of Itil and the Tabarid horde and a few more minor Chiefs. Chief Mänäs of Burtasy no longer feared Khazaria trying to force him back into the fold.

But now there was the question, who would fill the power vacuum left on the steppe? Of the Khazar hordes, the Ashina were strong in the east and the Bulçir held a strong position north of the Black Sea. But in the middle was the Alan horde of the Sathisi who had been growing steadily stronger for decades, would they swallow up the remnants of Khazaria and become a new threat to Merya?

Many of Syrka vassals began clamoring for him to take advantage of the chaos in the south, but Syrka was already involved in the Estonian war and didn’t want to bite off more than he could chew. He preferred to wait for the dust to settle and see what emerged to the south. One vassal, Chief Pakstyan of Novogrodek, did not wait, he immediately attacked the weak Khagan Itakh of the Itaid in the Liberation of Lithuania. Time would tell if Syrka’s other vassals would also act on their own initiative to try and take advantage of the new situation.

There was another who saw the chaos to the south as an opportunity. The new King Purysho of Vladimir also chose to act. But he too took an unexpected direction. Instead of trying to carve out a piece of crumbling Khazaria, he saw the fall of Khazaria as the removal of a threat to his south, leaving him free to follow his ambitions northward. Soon after Khazaria broke asunder, King Purysho launched a subjugation war against King Khaireddin of Nenetsia. His warriors from Pskov quickly swept across the western portions of Nenetsia with little opposition.

While Syrka was not happy having the Vladimir armies crossing his lands to make war on Nenetsia, he did not interfere. Instead he left Yaroslavl and traveled to the war zone of Estonia. Escorting his daughter Sochava to her new husband. He timed his arrival well. The last of the Smälander forces had been defeated in a final battle outside of Kalevan and the Smälander Chief gave up on his conquest of Liivimaa. And King Nalka had forced the Lithuanians to accept a white peace, ending their subjugation war. After the wedding, Syrka gave King Nalka “Ironside” another wedding present, pledging his support to end the final war Nalka faced, and join him against the Scanian conquest Läänemaa.

 

[Dunaden]

972-975 The Second Estonian War and Other Issues

King Syrka returned to Yaroslavl following the wedding. High Chief Salinder of Nidaros, Merya’s War Chief, and the rest of Syrka’s commanders would see to providing any aid King Nalka required in defending against the Scanians.

Chief Valto of Belo Ozero was waiting when he returned. Valto had come to call in the favor Syrka owed him for his generous gift he had given a short while back. To pay off the favor, Valto demanded a position on the Royal Council, specifically he want to become Steward. Syrka reluctantly agreed and was forced to fire his uncle, Chief Kezhedey of Vladimir Volynsky, from the Council. Syrka was not happy having to fire his uncle, not only was he family, he was also a much better steward than Valto will ever be. Kezhedey was not happy either, but over all he still liked his nephew and King and understood the dictates of politics.

King Syrka also returned to some sad news, his ward, High Chief Borkward of Iceland had been bitten by a dog and died frothing at the mouth. Syrka felt guilty as he had been the boy’s guardian and should have kept him close and protected him. Syrka vowed to do better and becomes guardian to Borkvard’s younger brother, the new High Chief of Iceland, Suni. Suni had already embraced the Suomenusko gods in imitation of his older brother, but still was Norse in culture. When High Chief Suni of Iceland arrived in Yaroslavl his regents had sent along a large donation to Syrka' war chest in return for a future favor for their young Chief. Syrka accepted the gift and swore to do better guarding the young High Chief.

A few days later, Syrka was admiring his newest grandson named Deryab, the second son of Tutyra and Kordula Penikis. Little Deryab appeared to be exceptionally gifted, already alert and active at such a young age. Bu the moment was interrupted by High Chief Nabtiko 'the Mule' of Zyriane who asked to speak with the King. Reluctantly, Syrka handed the baby back to his mother and asked the young family to excuse them, business of the realm and all that.

​

Nabtiko watched until they were gone and then closed the door. He turned back to Syrka and said, “There is a problem there.”

Syrka was confused, “A problem with the baby?”

His spymaster shook his head, “No, a problem with the mother.”

Syrka frowned, “What do you mean.”

Nabtiko replied, “There are always rumors of plots against you, plots to kill the King. Well I tracked down one such plot and discovered that the rumors are true.”

Syrka glanced at the closed door, “And this has something to do with my daughter -in-law?”

Nabtiko nodded, “Everything to do with her. She is the leader of this plot, and she is not alone.”

Syrka sighed, he liked the girl, Kordula Penikis was smart, attractive, and seemed to care for his son. Plus, she had already produced two fine grandsons, she was now tied to the family by blood. “Are you sure?”

Nabtiko nodded, “There is no doubt, I have intercepted correspondence between her and other conspirators, and found other clues that put her as the instigator and lead.”

“And who are these other conspirators?”

Nabtiko pulled out a scrap of paper which had a disheartening number of names on it. He began to read them off, “High Chief Parush of Veliky Ustug, High Chief Vesei of Zavarot, High Chief Çortah 'the Kind' of Latgale, Count Orunza of the Onega Peninsula, Chief Pakstyan of Novogrodek, and finally, High Chief Salinder of Nidaros and Bjarmia, the War Chief of Merya.”

Syrka thought, Chief Pakstyan of Novogrodek at least is understandable as the two of them share neither religion or even culture and Syrka had just recently conquered his land. But the rest, they have little excuse, some are even kinsmen. Why would they want him dead, only one of them could be King. And what tyranny was he raining down on them, that they felt he need to die?

Syrka looked at Nabtiko, “I’ll have a talk with the girl, and get her to end this nonsense.”

Nabtiko looked surprised, “You don’t want her arrested?”

Syrka shook his head, “I’ll give her a chance to do what is right. But I will want a copy of that list.”

Nabtiko nodded, “Of course.” Then he looked like he wanted to say more.

Syrka waved at him, “There is more?”

Nabtiko nodded unhappily, “High Chief Vechkas of Velsk is plotting to fabricate a claim on the throne.”

Syrka nodded, ‘So he doesn’t want to kill me, but does want to steal from me.”

Nabtiko nodded, “And he also has support.”

Syrka sighed, “Of course. Who?”

Nabtiko pulled a second slip of paper from his tunic, and cleared his throat, “There are less of them, but they all appear on the first list, the War Chief again, High Chief Salinder, and High Chief Veliky of Ustug, and Chief Pakstyan of Novogrodek.“

“So Vechkas at least doesn’t want to kill me, but his three supporters are trying everything they can to get me off the throne, whether killing me or stripping me of my title.”

Nabtiko nods, “So it would appear, my King.”

“Are there more?”

Nabtiko nodded unhappily, “There are dozens of additional plots, but those are the only two directed at you personally.”

Syrka spent the rest of the day going through the other plots his spymaster had uncovered, and seeing many more of his slips of paper. In the end, he ordered Nabtiko to do what he could to end the two dozen or so that that posed the most threat to the realm, either through the planned murder of Chiefs and their heirs or plots to lay claim to titles. Even after that there were close to 20 active plots that would continue, either initiated by people outside the realm, or lead by people with so much hate, they would refuse to abandon their schemes.

Nabtiko would be effective in getting most of those two dozen plots to be abandoned in the next couple months. Syrka personally dealt with the two plots targeting himself. After confrontations with both Kordula and High Chief Veckhas, they both begged forgiveness and swore to quit their plots.

While Syrka dealt with internal issues, the Scanian war continued. The Meryan armies were led by Commander Uzhara and Commander Naruchad Koshelid as High Chief Salinder, Merya’s War Chief, was too busy fighting his own war against King Khaireddin for Bjarmia to take part. The commanders freed several of the Estonian villages and temples held by the Scanians including the Temple of Livs, King Nalka's capitol of Kalevan, Narva, and the target of the Scanian conquest, Läänemaa. The only major battle was fought outside of Kalevan, with the Scanians driven off for a time.

Syrka also received some news from his neighbors and more distant foreign lands. King Khaireddin of Nenetsia, as well as defending against High Chief Salinder in the war for Bjarmia, was also still defeniding against the subjugation war of Vladimir.

Çat of Çatid reign as Khagan of Khazaria was short-lived, as the horde soon chose to replace him with Khagan Bulan II 'the Wolf' of Khazaria. His clan, the Yeçtirekid, now lead Khazaria. While the former Khagan, Khan Çat of Çatid is content to raid into Merya, attacking Mordva, others within Khazaria are not and Khazaria is soon torn apart by another revolt.

Emperor Chramnesind 'the Frog', the Holy Roman Emperor, is dead from the cancer that had been eating at him when he was crowned. The Duke of Brittany, Gundobad Chiemgaudson, is the new Emperor. This new Emperor shares Syrka’s affliction, he also suffers from gout.

And it seems that the Christian religious leader, Pope Clemens II, has declared a great Holy War on the the Sunni Sultan Sami of the Muhallabid Sultanate, calling it a Crusade for Egypt. Sultan Sami ruled a vast Empire, includng east Africa and much of Anatolia. Syrka had little interested in who would win the conflict, he was just glad the Christians were directing their ire somewhere other than his own lands.

But as interesting as the news of the outside world is, it is the plots and schemes of his vassals that keep drawing Syrka’s attention. Most of his vassals’ schemes and doings were above board, they were openly fighting wars and challenging each other for their own gain.

There were the vassals trying to expand their power by seizing land outside Merya’s borders, such as High Chief Salinder’s ongoing war for Bjarmia. High Chief Nuyaksha 'the Wise' of Tverhad had already subjugated Chief Çat'n of Chuvash, a chief who had become independent due to the changes in Khazaria, and he was now trying to force vassalization on Chief Uchva of Severnaya, an independent Komi chieftain on the eastern border of Merya. Meanwhile, High Chief Nuyaksha of Turov was attacking Khagan Tuzniq of Bulçir in the Liberation of Kiev. The High Chief of Turov is a Veteran in the followers of Otso and a brilliant strategist, so hopefully he knows what he is doing taken on a Khazar horde single-handedly. High Chief Nuyaksha of Turov had also inherited Grodno following the death of his vassal Chief Varaka. Chief Varaka of Grodno was a giant whose heart couldn't handle his size, his only child is Styaka Chumbulatid, the baby girl shows geat promise, but wan’t old enough to xlaim Grodno. She remains in the care of High Chief Nuyaksha.

Other vassals sought power within Merya. High Chief Orunza of Veps was killed by his brother Chipaz in a duel over Chipaz’s claims on his brother’s titles. Chipaz won the duel and claimed the High Chiefdom of Veps. He then survived a revolt by his kinsman, Chief Viryay of Torzhok, who was imprisoned. But Chipaz didn’t survive the next revolt as another kinsman, Tyushtya Torzhokid, usurped the High Chiefdom of Veps from him. Yurak Namid won another family squabble when he usurped the High Chiefdom of Zavarot from his brother Chief Vesei of Vym. Syrka was happy to see one of those who conspired against him unseated.

All the plotting within Merya had been making Syrka very uneasy and then in a four month stretch, a series of events would would make him downright paranoid. It actually started with some good news. The Meryan Chiefs had made Syrka's son Tutyra the new heir to Merya. And Tutyra and Kordula, had just given Syrka a granddaughter who joined her two older brothers. But Syrka happiness didn’t last long as he was reminded that Tutyra’s treacherous wife had plotted to murder him. Had this been the goal of her plot all along? To make Tutyra the heir and then kill Syrka?

Then High Chief Nuyaksha of Murom died peacefully at age of 52. His son, Saksa Yaroslavlid, is the new High Chief of Murom. A new Voice of Merya had to be found. From amongst a host of candidates, Chief Saksa 'the Shadow' of Merya and Tikhvine is chosen. There was nothing outwardly suspicious about how Nuyaksha died.

But then High Chief Salinder used a favor to get High Chief Nabtiko 'the Mule' of Zyriane to join his factions. So Syrka’s spymaster was now part of the independence faction that High Chief Salinder, Syka’s War Chief was leading. There was a second faction trying to unite Nenetsia and Merya under King Khaireddin, but neither Salinder or Nabtiko were part of it. Neither faction is yet strong enough to be a threat.

Syrka now had one brand new Council member, that he knew little about. He had two other Council members who were members of a faction that wanted to literally rip Merya apart, even if one had not joined willingly, the other one had also been part of a plot to kill Syrka. And a fourth council member, Chief Valto, had forced his way onto the Council, using a favor Syrka owed him.

At least, Chief Valto is doing a good job as steward, acting justly and pleasing the peasants. And Valto had helped relocate a strong Mordvin population into Minsk. Minsk had now become predominantly Mordvin, though the population remained largely Tengri. But Syrka was sad to learn that the man Valto had forced out, Syrka’s Uncle Kezhedey, had recently died from severe injuries. His son, also a Kezhedey, is the new Chief of Vladimir Volynsky.

Was his Diviner, Are Ridala, the only Councilor he could trust? She had just recently converted the population of Lukoml to the Suomenusko Gods. Though she had also received some bad news of her own. Her father had just died at the age of 70. Are was taking comfort that he at least saw his grandaughter become Queen of Estonia, a throne the Ridala dynasty had once held. And Queen Sochava and King Nalka 'Ironside' had just had their first child, a daughter named Sanal'ka, a gifted child, but sickly. Yet his other grandchild had been his favorite, Syrka’s 4-year old son, Inzhay.

Syrka’s worries over the the loyalty of his Council and the plotting were becoming all consuming. Only matters pertaining to his family seemed to distract him from that worry.

High Chief Nuyaksha's ambitions had gotten him killed as he died in the battle of Vozviahel against the Khazars. Syrka's secret son, Robin, is now High Chief of Turov, and has inherited Nuyaksha's war. But the Turov liberation of Kiev was doomed to fail and High Chief Robin II soon had to concede the war his 'father' had started.

And his son Ozheg is already 17, a skilled tactician, brawny, diligent, and ambitious. He comes to Syrka with his pet owl perched on his shoulder as always and asked about getting married. He has grown fond of Sbyslava Vidins, a former hostage now living in Yaroslavl, who has become a devout follower of the gods, shrewd, diligent, and well educated. Syrka agrees to the match and the two are soon married.

The efforts of Syrka’s vassals to expand Merya’s borders were paying off. Chief Varaka of Mozhaysk has usurped the Chiefdom of Vorotynsk from Kinyak Roslavsky, taking more former Khazarian land, land which needs improvements as the nomads had left it suitable only for grazing herds. High Chief Salinder of Nidaros has usurped title of Bjarmia from Malyy Tsuudit, taking the title from the beleaguered Kingdom of Nenetsia. And Chief Deryab ‘the Hunter’ of Pinsk has usurped the Chiefdom of Turov from Voislav 'the Just', a Shia Vohlynian. He also claimed the temple of Davyd -Haradok.

Bishop Uthoil of Maelruusan arrives in Yaroslavl, following the in the steps of his predeccessors to preach the gospel. He was sent by King Uuen of Pictland. King Uuen has been King for just two years, since his father’s death and he has already been excommunicated by the Church. He was hoping his missionary would succeed in converting all of Merya and help Ueun get back into the good graces of the church. Syrka can't be bothered, and has the Bishop imprisoned and held for ransom as soon as he arrives.

Then Syrka learns some devastating news, justifying all his concerns. His diviner, Are Ridala, the only Councillor he could trust, was plotting to kill him. There is no surprise that War Chief Salinder is backing the plot, but the other conspirator is the former heir and most powerful vassal in the realm, High Chief Nuyaksha 'the Wise' of Tver.

As Syrka’s rage grows, the ending of the Scanian-Estonian war is barely acknowledged, though the news that his levys are returning home is welcome. Because King Syrka ‘the Quarreller’ was ready to pick a fight.

 

[Dunaden]

975-977 Picking Fights and Ending Quarrels (The Tver and Nidaros Revolts)

Syrka had let the earlier plots against him go, doing just enough to thwart them without punishing anyone, but he had had enough. High Chief Salinder was determined to move against him, joining every plot and faction, his threat needed to be dealt with. And High Chief Nuyaksha of Tver was simply too powerful to ignore. Right now, he just had High Chief Salinder working with him, but if even only a few more vassals joined him, they could rival Syrka’s strength. Syrka wasted no time and ordered the immediate arrest of High Chief Nuyaksh of Tver. High Chief Salinder would be next, but Tver was the greater threat.

He didn’t expect Nuyaksha to come quietly, but there was a small chance he might be reasonable and want to avoid bloodshed. Syrka was already putting the Merry Men on notice and raising his levys before he received word that Nuyaksha had refused the ‘invitation’ to Yaroslavl and was raising his own men in revolt. Syrka called in his vassals, five refused, four of those were ones who had plotted against Syrka and the fifth was his ward, High Chief Suni of Iceland, whose distance away was used as the excuse by his regent.

​

The High Chief of Tver held vast lands, but alone, he can't match Syrka when he had the support of the bulk of his vassals. There was a first skirmish in Uglich which was quickly won. Syrka ordered his army to focus on de jure Tver lands first.

Nuyaksha called on his own vassals to join the revolt. They answered their liege and would pay the price. The first vassal war band is caught in Zubtsov before it can join up with the main rebel army and is slaughtered. Zubtsov itself is soon taken in a siege, to prevent any further support being raised for the rebels.

But Zubtsov was just a side show, the main Meryan armies had marched straight to the capitol of Tver, Kashin, and put in under siege. Not long after Zubtsov is taken, Kashin falls as well. High Chief Nuyaksha's family is captured. While the prisoners are being sorted out and sent to Yaroslavl, the temple of Yesinka is also taken. All together Syrka holds eight of Nuyaksha’s immediate family members, including his heir, Shoksha, and his brother, Velmayka. Syrka opens negotiations, demanding unconditional surrender. Nuyaksha is still in shock by the speed and savagery of Syrka’s response and the capture of his family. He surrenders himself to Syrka’s men, not wanting his family to suffer for his defiance, and just like that the revolt is over. Nuyaksha is sent straight to the deepest hole of Syrka’s dungeons, but he is not forgotten. Syrka just needs to deal with the other traitor first.

With Nuyaksha in jail, Syrka looks to other plotter, War Chief Salinder of Nidaros. Salinder fled Yaroslavl before he can be arrested, starting a new revolt. Syrka had expected this and almost welcomed it. He wanted to rain destruction down on his enemy. He calls his vassals to war again, and this time everyone joins war, except Chief Pakstyan of Novogorodek, the former conspirator from the earlier abandoned plots.

Syrka doesn’t expect this war to be over nearly as quick, though High Chief Salinder lacks Nuyaksha’s man power, his lands stretch from Bjarmia in the east to Nidaros on the western coast of Norway, with his capitol almost a year’s march from Yaroslavl, it would take time to bring him to heel. The hero Pokshayka Kreuzburgid, is promoted from commander to War Chief and put in charge of hunting down his predecessor, his loyalty is unquestioned. They will first capture Salinder’s lands in Bjarmia before heading north on the long trek to Nidaros.

There is little else Syrka can do in Yaroslavl except wait for news. He regrets only that his gout ridden body will prevent him from being there when Salinder is captured. So, he turns to other tasks.

The biggest news and perhaps the next concern is that the Vladimir-Nenetsia Subjugation war is over. King Purysho 'the Monster ' of Vladimir has won his war. The former King Khaireddin is now just Chief of Votyaki and three other Chiefdoms, a vassal to King Purysho. Purysho has claimed the crowns of both Nenetsia and Novgorod to add to that of Vladimir. Will his ambitions drive him to go after the greater crown of Merya? Syrka is already thinking of ways to forestall that, but he feels he has some time. King Purysho ‘the Monster’ is, not surprisingly, not loved by his people, both his original and new vassals. He may need to spend sometime strengthing his internal rule, before taking another step to expand further.

A proposal arrives to marry Syrka’s oldest son, Tunya, matrilineally to Upurgas Kardazid , the heir to Rusa. Syrka agrees, it would give him grandchildren with the blood of Erziya 'the Bold', they wouldn’t be considered 'poor' cousins any longer.

​

Syrka’s longest serving commander Ovtay, dies of a natural death at 72. New commanders are promoted, starting with Syrka’s son Ozheg, as well as High Chief Vechkas of Velsk and High Chief Çortah 'the Kind', a former conspirator. Syrka also takes the opportunity to fill two open Venerable elder positions. High Chief Çortah 'the Kind' is given that honor of Venerable elder as well, along with Chief Shindyay of Smolensk.

Syrka's son Kinyak dies at 16. He was always a weak, sickly boy, but Syrka still wasn’t ready to lose him and grieves. Syrka spends a lot of time working in his garden to deal with his grief. Well not exactly working, but supervising the gardeners from his chair, watching them transform the garden. The garden is doing well, well managed.

While Syrka worked on his garden, his warriors continued the war. Kuloy and then Bjarmia fall in siege, then the Meryan armies faced the long march through Suomi north to reach the rest of High Chief Salinder’s lands, to avoid raising the ire of the neighboring King, the Meryans broke in to smaller bands to cross Suomi to avoid stretching the local resources too thin. One of these warbands in Suomi met High Chief Salinder at Viena coming south with his own army. The Battle of Viena in Suomi saw High Chief Parush of Veliky Ustug squaring off against Salinder of Nidaros and led to an overwhelming victory, th Nidaros losing 600 men, a third of their army and Merya losing less 100 men altogether. The victorious Meryans then lay siege to Nidaros’ eastern province of Kantalahti after a brief skirmish with one of Salinder’s vassals. While that army lay siege to Kantalahti, the other warbands continued west toward Westrobothnia, where they met up with the fleeing Nidaros army. The Battle of Westrobothnia was another defeat for High Chief Salinder.

While that action had been going on across Suomi, further west, High Chief Suni of Iceland’s men had gathered in his county of Nidaros and launched their attack on the High Chief Salinder’s capitol of Namudal and captured it. They then moved east to lay siege to Jämtland. When Syrka hears of Iceland’s successful efforts on his behalf, he offers his ward, High Chief Suni, the beautiful Tekay of Udine as his bride. Suni accepts the betrothal, he is almost of age and will take her with him when he returns home.

As Syrka awaits for new word from his warriors in Scandinavia, he hears some other tidbits of news he finds interesting. The first was a local story, it appears Snorri Luks a Norseman from the Meryan Chiefdom of Nordland has raised a host and leading them to press his claim on all of Sweden. He is attacking the Polish King of Sweden, King Gosciwuj 'the Hunter' Polan, one of the last Slavic Kings. Syrka doesn’t think he’ll have much luck if even half of Sweden’s allies send support.

The other bit of news seemed even more farfetched. Apparently, some former slave of the Turks had escaped to some distant city in fabled Hindustan and was said to have raised an army of some 50,000 men and defeated the local king, or Maharaja as they were called, in a brutal war. He was called Sabuktigin ‘the Conqueror’ of Multan, of the new house Ghaznavid. And the rumors or fairy tales were saying he was returning to the west for vengeance and conquest.

Syrka just shook his head in amazement, such imagination, an army of 50,000 men. News of his own war soon caught his interest again. The siege of Kantalahti and Westrobothnia had been won and the Meryan armies had converged on the last of Nidaros’ free lands. High Chief Salinder made one last attempt to drive off the Syrka’s warriors but was defeated at Nordland. Nordland itself was soon captured and Salinder had nowhere else to run. He soon surrendered; the war was over.

It took months to return him to Yaroslavl, but he then joined High Chief Nuyaksha of Tver in the dark hole of Syrka’s dungeon. During that time, High Chief Suni of Iceland came of age and immediately called in the old favor he is was owed, to become War Chief. Syrka allowed it and Pokshayka Kreuzburgid is forced to step down. And Syrka’s son Ozheg and and his wife Sbyslava give Syrka another granddaughter, Sangasa. Uzhara Uzharid has son with Tetyava 'the Merry", named Tikshayka Uzharid, and a daughter is born to Skornand and Sanl'ka, named Cherava Vidins.

Syrka’s son Tutyra was invited to become the new Chief of Peresylavl Zalesky, which he accepted, making him a vassal in the Kingdom of Vladimir. And another of Syrka’s sons comes of age, Viryas. Syrka arranges his marriage to Yikshayka Torzhokid.

Now that Syrka has his two most dangerous enemies locked away, he now has to decide what to do with them.

 

[Dunaden]

978 – 981 Retribution

The two internal revolts had thrown the succession into chaos resulting in the the chosen heir cycling through several different contenders, High Chief Parush of Veliky Ustug, Chief Poskshayka of Kostroma, Syrka’s son Ozheg, even the prisoner, High Chiegh Nuyaksha of Tver. Currently, it was back to Parush of Veliky Ustug, but who knew how long that would last.

Syrka only knew that High Chief Nuyaksha of Tver would not be King. He wasn’t planning on executing his kinsman, but would allow him to die of old age. Of course, old age came a lot sooner to those spending the rest of their life in the deepest hole in Yaroslavl’s dungeon. He considered revoking some of his titles, but even though he was a traitor, the rest of his vassals would frown on him taking enough titles from Nuyaksha to actually reduce his power and reach. But Nuyaksha luckily had a number of sons, and his multiple High Chiefdoms would be distributed far and wide when he died.

High Chief Salinder of Nidaros was a different case all together. Not only is he a traitor, it is discovered that he was also a follower of the Sky Gods of Tengri, rather than the Suomenusko Gods of Merya or even the Norse gods of his Scandinavian neighbors. The false belief in Tengri can explain his almost fanatical persistence in attacking Syrka in any way he could. Syrka strips him of all his land and titles in Bjarmia, the High Chiefdom itself as well as Bjarmia and Kuloy. He grants all of these titles to his son Ozheg, making him the new High Chief of Bjarmia.

After making Ozheg, High Chief of Bjarmia, Syrka offered his other sons Salinder’s other lands, but none of them wanted to be sent to the backwater of the Kingdom in distant Norway, they all wanted land closer to the heart of the Kingdom. As Syrka was already stretched thin managing his current lands, he did not strip the High Chiefdom of Nidaros and other titles from Salinder. Salinder’s brother, who was a proper Suomenusko follower, was heir to the High Chiefdom of Nidaros and Salinder’s five young sons could squabble over the remaining lands once Salinder was dead, which Syrka expected to happen soon as Salinder joined Nuyaksha permanently in the deepest of Yaroslavl’s dungeons.

With Syrka’s ire spent, an uneasy peace settled over Merya. His concubine and diviner, Are, who had started the plot, had been chastised. She was mother to (some of) his children, so he did not make public her part in the plot, and the other two conspirators were safely locked away. She continued her duties as diviner, though she was never allowed in his bed, or slept in his chambers again. She was the mother-in-law to his ally King Nalka 'Ironside' of Estonia and he did not want to upset that alliance, especially as there had recently been some tension between the allies.

King Nalka 'Ironside' of Estonia had gotten it in to his head and basically accused King Syrka and Merya of supporting, in some way, the increased pirate activity along Estonia’s coast. Syrka’s response had not been very diplomatic, calling the younger King absurd and ridiculous for even thinking such a thing, even going so far as to imply that Nalka was using this accusation as some sort of ploy against Syrka. This response may have been fueled by Syrka’s increased paranoia caused by the recent internal plots. King Nalka had not taken it well. Luckily, Queen Sochava had intervened and soothed Syrka’s temper and gotten him to formally apologize to King Nalka and assure him Merya would never plot against Estonia.

Peace would reign over Merya for the next two years during which time King Syrka dealt with issues of governance and his Council and with his family and personal growth.

First Syrka called together a conclave of all the learned men within Merya and even from aboard and asked them to present their ideas to him. He planned to implement any useful ideas in his governance of Yaroslavl and hopefully these innovations would spread from there thoughout all of Merya. He had not done this in sometime and his people were eager for new ideas and were willing to accept several innovations right away if Syrka was willing to invest in these advances. The summer of 979 saw a flurry of activity in Yaroslavl as scholars from throughout Merya arrived to present their ideas. Many of these ideas proved useless to Merya at the present, but Syrka had them collected and set aside, perhaps in the future they could be helpful. But a few key ideas were immediately adopted and put into action, these were centered on military advances related the design and construction of siege equipment that would speed up loading and reloading of siege engines in attacks as well as innovation in wall design and layout of approaches to Yaroslavl that would improve the defenses against siege equipment and siege tactics.

The more ambitious ideas that were not useful currently included advances in fortifications, which were of little use in upgrading his reinforced hillfort. But if he ever built a castle such as those seen in the feudal Kingdoms to west, they would be useful in improving the central keeps. Syrka had these designs copied down and placed in his library for use by future Kings of Meyra. These same scholars also had some ideas for city and temple improvements, talking of temple buildings and great centers of learning and local militia to the keep the peace within the cities. These ideas also went into the library for use at some future date. Other scholars presented legal treatises that discussed ways to put much more power in the King’s hands and out of his vassals’ hands. Syrka knew this legal treatise were useless presently, the tribal chiefs would never accept a King taking that much control. Finally, some shamans presented some of their ideas for improving their lot in life by amending some religious customs. This apparently had no effect on anyone other than the dozen shamans who presented the idea. But Syrka had all the ideas transcribed and sent into his library. Someday they may be of use.

Syrka’s young War Chief and former ward, Suni of Iceland had remained in Yaroslavl to work with the rest of the Council and also wait for his bride. Tekay of Udine soon came of age and the two were married. Shortly after that, Syrka helped resolve argument between Suni and the stablemaster, making Suni see that the stablemaster had been correct. Suni approves of justice and was grateful to Syrka for keeping him from treating the stablemaster unfairly. Suni was so pleased with Syrka’s mentorship, his new bride and his position on the Council as War Chief that he offered Syrka another generous donation to Syrka’s treasury. He did add that he hoped Syrka might provide him a small favor in exchange for the gift sometime in the future. Syrka liked and trusted the young man and agreed. The first favor Suni had asked had actually worked to Syrka’s advantage in providing him with a skilled War Chief, so he trusted the next one would also be mutually beneficial. On top of that, Suni also found a great warrior, named Shkay, who would serve Syrka loyally.

Chief Valto of Belo Ozero, the court healer and Steward, offered a similar donation to King Syrka in exchange for a favor of his own, but Syrka’s paranoia kept him from accepting that offer, he didn’t want to be beholden to too many people. After Syrka refused, Chief Valto came clean and confessed he was hoping he could convince King Syrka to grant his son Tommo some land. Syrka was forced to refuse, explaining he still has more sons of his own that he will need to provide land to. Syrka does give Chief Valto 20 gold work on his medicinal studies. Not what Valto was hoping for, but he accepts the coin graciously.

The coins Chief Valto received were something Syrka and he had actually devised. Freshly minted coins with Syrka’s image stamped on them. Syrka had balked at first, but Valto had insisted that coins with his image would give Syrka prestige. Many great Kings and Emperors had their image struck onto the coins of their realms.

One of those sons who would be expecting land was King Syrka’s sixth son and namesake, Syrka the Younger. Syrka had recently come of age and he was a bit of a disappointment. He was a tough soldier, stubborn, and frankly a bore. He had little to talk about, yet he always seemed to be talking. Another unlanded son, Viryas and his wife Tikshayka had a daughter, Shonzhava. Another granddaughter to bounce painfully on Syrka’s swollen knees. She is joined in less than a year by a younger sister, Liyava.

Less happy news is that his son Ozheg’s wife and mother of his children, Sbyslava Vidins, appears to have been murdered. Ozheg has no suspects in Bjarmia and is at a loss. Syrka’s spymaster had not heard of a plot. All the King can do is offer Ozheg a new bride. Ozheg accepts the new wife, Poshayka Kardazid, daughter of a Chief. Syrka also receives news from his son, Chief Tutyra of Peresyaslavl Zalesky. The boy is now heir to King Purysho ‘the Monster’ of Vladimir as well as some lands in Merya. He had little hope of receiving the crown of Merya, but the crown of Vladimir was within his grasp.

Syrka’s gout flared up again, and he found himself once again confined to a chair. He begins spending his time reading and trying his hand at composing poetry to distract himself from the constant pain. He collects his verses into a book and shares them with his family and court. They all praise him as a poet, though Syrka is not sure he deserves that title, but nevertheless, his book of verse finds it way to the growing library in Yaroslavl to be preserved for future generations.

It was during this time that High Chief Çortah 'the Kind' dies, probably with relief, after suffering from multiple amputations, infections, depression, and cancer. Syrka had been expecting him to die for the past two years, which is why he hadn’t bothered punishing for his part in the plots against him. That and the fact that he was the son of a King and many of Syrka’s vassals admired the man. Çortah’s innate strength had kept him alive through suffering that would have felled a weaker man. In someways, that had turned out to be a worse punishment than anything Syrka could have devised. Syrka ended up inheriting all of Çortah’s his lands and titles in the High Chiefdom of Latgale as Çortah’s only son has already died, leaving only his five daughters.

Çortah wasn’t the only noble to die during this period. High Chief Veckhas of Velsk died of natural causes and his kinsman Kharuchi Ngayid became the new High Chief. Other Chiefs suffered lesser misfortunes. High Chief Deryab of Vologda, is now known as 'One Eye' after obviously losing an eye, on top of the fact he was also already missing a hand. And Kubrat Yaroslavlid has usurped the High Chiefdom of Murom treating his brother Varaka 'the Usurper' in kind. But he wasn’t called ‘the Usurper’ as well, instead became known as 'the Drunkard', as he was drinking heavily to forget he is dying of great pox. He would not be High Chief for long. Meanwhile, Kubrat’s new lands were being raided by Khazars from Cheremisa, part of the Täbärid Horde.

King Syrka couldn’t do much about his various Chiefs issues and ailments, but he could deal with the raiders. So in the spring of 781, he sends some levys and the Merry Men south to drive the raiders out of Murom. But something goes horribly wrong, and Merya’s two years of peace are over. The army Syrka sent south is caught in an ambush and suffered an embarrassing defeat. 2,000 men routed by less than 800 and worse, almost 700 Meryan warriors killed, while the raiders lost only 60 men. Syrka was shocked when word reached him, he could not recall a more devastating failure. As his army flees in panic, Murom is looted and pillaged by the raiders.

Syrka decides he can not let this stand and immediately declares war on Khagan Täbär of Täbärid in the conquest of Cheremisa. He calls his vassals to war and six of them decline. Syrka and his vaunted Merry Men have shown weakness, and many of his vassals want to see if he can deal with this on his own. The disaster also influences the succession, once again his prisoner, High Chief Nuyaksha of Tver, becomes the chosen heir of Merya. Syrka is incensed, and turns all of his wrath of the Khazar raiders who had disrupted his peace.

He gathered his army, the Merry Men, who had slunk home in disgrace, as well as the vassals who supported him and sends them south again straight for Cheremisa. By June, they arrive in Cheremisa and meet up again with the Täbärid horde at Simbirsk. This time it is 4,400 versus 800. The horde again do a lot of damage to the Meryan army killing over 200 men, but the overwhelming numbers of the Meryans match that, killing 250 Khazars and force the Horde to retreat. The Meryans waste no time chasing after the fleeter Khazars, but instead descend upon the Horde’s main encampment. There is no attempt at a siege or chance of surrender offered, the Meryans fall on the encampment at Simbirsk in a brutal assault. Anyone who raised a hand against them is slaughtered and all three of Khagan Täbär’s sons are captured. The conquest of Cheremisa is over in less than 9 months after the disaster in Murom.

But before Syrka accepts the Khagan surrender, he squeezes every drop of loot that he had stolen out of him, ransoming his two younger sons back to him for 110 gold each. The Khagan doesn’t have enough gold to ransom his last son and heir, his ransom will be all of Cheremisa Then Syrka accepts the surrender of Cheremisa, leaving the Täbärid horde homeless. Täbär’s loss of a homeland means he can no longer style himself a Khagan, he is now just Khan Täbär of the Täbärid, head of a wandering band of nomads.

The Meryan loss at Murom is avenged and Syrka has demonstrated to the doubting Chiefs his fitness to rule.

 

[Dunaden]

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.

 

[Dunaden]

985 - 986 The Blood of Kings

The Chieftains of Merya had chosen a new King. There was no band of malcontents to upset the election this time, no Lettigallian contingent to put one of the lesser Kardazid lines on the throne again. This time, the Chieftains were able to choose the son and heir to one of the most royal bloodlines amongst all of the 210 living Kardazids. A man from the senior surviving branch of King Erziya ‘the Bold’s bloodline. The new King was descended from the first two Kings of Merya, Erziya himself and King Dergun, through Dergun’s oldest son Azyren ‘the Youthful’ and his son, High Chief Kezhay of Vologda, (Kezhay’s older brother, Ovtay ‘the Cruel’, had died leaving no sons, only a daughter). And then from Kezhay’s oldest child., High Chief Uzhara of Vologda, to Uzhara’s only child, Chief Kichay of Tver, whose oldest son was now the chosen King.

Only the descendants of King Nuyat, son of Nuyat, could challenge the superiority of this bloodline, as they boasted three Kings in their lineage. But the first Nuyat had been Azyren’s little brother, and High Chief Kezhay of Vologda had been the closest challenger to Nuyat, son of Nuyat’s bid for the throne, only a few stray votes had kept him from his rightful place as King.

So crowning Velmayka Kardazid as King was just returning Merya to the course it should have been on already. There were some who argued that Velamyka’s father, Chief Kichay of Tver, should have been crowned, a brilliant strategist, proven warrior and shrewd and experienced man of the same impeccable bloodline. But the younger Chiefs, surprising led by the both the sons of King Syrka and the sons of his rival Nuyaksha ‘the Wise’, had banded together to choose the younger man, someone closer to their own age. So Velamyka became King, but his father became the heir.

King Velmayka was already an experienced warrior who had studied and mastered siegecraft and possessed a martial prowess almost the equal of his father’s despite being scarred and maimed, having lost a hand in the Battle of Yaroslavl during the war against Vladimir. He had been raised as the son of a Chief and a noble bloodline, so was a well-groomed young man, kind and hardworking with a lust for life, though he could be exceedingly stubborn at times.

Velmayka was the oldest of his father’s three sons, and second oldest of his six children, with an older sister named Pemka, who was married to Nishkepaz Nishkepazid, a bastard son of the late Chief of Mochkava and who had one daughter. Pemka was the spymaster of Mochkava, serving her husband’s nephew. Velmayka’s sister, Mel’Shay, was next in line, she was also married, to Dangeruthe Vidins, the son of Chief Gerden of Selija and Deltuva and heir to Deltuva. She had had a bastard daughter of her own. Then came 17-year old Deryab, who had just recently come age and was married to Sinyava Kardazid, the daughter of Chief Andyamo ‘the Just’ of Rzheva. Finally, there were the two youngest of his siblings, his half-sister, Chinzhay, and his half-brother, Paksyut. The three youngest remained in Tver with their parents, Chief Kichay and Chieftess Hüüp Ingeri, the mother to the four older children, and Mastorava Kardazid, Kichay’s concubine and mother to the two youngest children.

Velmayka, himself, was married to Tetyava ‘Dry-Throat’ Yaroslavlid, the daughter of Saksa Yaroslavlid, the Steward of Mozhaysk, and the late Tetyava Kardazid, who carried the bloodline of Erziya ‘the Bold’, though through the bastard Yaroslavlid line of the High Chiefs of Murom. She was a brave and virtuous young woman who had been well trained to manage everything from a household to a domain, this training would serve her well in her sudden rise to Queen of Merya. Her nickname ‘Dry Throat’ came from her friends who joked that she must always be parched as her temperate nature caused her to never quench her thirst as much as they did at gatherings.

The young couple had no children of their own, as of yet. They liked and respected each other, but it had been an arranged marriage, they had not married for love, but perhaps that would grow in time. Demonstrating that respect, one of Velmayka’s first acts as King was to name Queen Tetyava as the designated regent of Merya.

During Velmayka’s convalescence after he had been wounded and lost his hand, he had spent time considering the Gods’ plan for him. Why had he been spared at the Battle of Yaroslavl, when so many others had died? He would continue his studies and focus on theology even as he took of the reins of the Kingdom.

At the time of Syrka’s death, his domain had included eight major tribal villages, but the bulk of these territories had been inherited by three of his five surviving sons. Syrka’s oldest living son, Chief Tutyra of Peresyaslavl Zalesky, all of the Syrka’s tribal areas within in Polotsk, Lukoml, Vitebsk, and Orsha, as well as the title of High Chief of Polotsk. Tutyra had used his rise in rank to break his vassal contract with King Purysho ‘the Monster’ of Vladimir and declare his independence, yet he remained an ally in at least one of Vladimir’s wars. He was a dangerous and ambitious man with a claim on Velmayka’s crown, but for the moment they were allies in the war against King Gosciwuj ‘the Hunter’ of Sweden.

Syrka’s youngest son, 15-year old Inzhay, inherited the High Chiefdom of Turov and the two dejure territories of that title as well as Syrka’s original holdings in Syktyvkar. Inzhay also had a claim on the throne, but for now he was simply a seemingly loyal vassal.

And finally, Syrka’s most recent acquisition, Cheremisa, had gone to his son Viryas, the High Chief of Latgale. (Cheremisa and Tynea had been built up enough to avoid nomadic uprisings during the succession. But King Syrka's efforts to curb the nomads in Vorotynsk and Novosil were too little, too late. A Khazar nomad named Khatir has taken advantage of the King’s death to claim this territory for himself, and claim independence from Merya.)

So Velmayka inherited only the Royal Domain of the High Chiefdom of Merya and the tribal villages of Yaroslavl and Uglich. Of course, these were by far the most developed and richest villages in all of Merya. Velmayka had also gained control of the Merry Men, the most formidable war band in Merya and Syrka’s sizable war chest, which held some 700 gold. He also claimed the royal treasury, with the heirlooms and war trophies of the Kings of Merya, including the Kuninkaan Terä, the Blade of Kings. The well-balanced short sword was the perfect weapon for a one-handed King. The weapon had been long neglected, as it had seen little use by the crippled King Syrka, so Velmayka spent some of the overflowing war chest to put it to rights.

Once King Velmayka was settled in Yaroslavl, he took a look at the Council he had inherited. Three of King Syrka’s Councillors remained, the Voice of Merya, Chief Saksa 'the Shadow' of Merya and Tikhvine, the War Chief, High Chief Suni II of Iceland, and the Steward, Chief Valto of Belo Ozero. The positions of spymaster and Diviner were empty. Velamyka decided to leave the current Councillors in place, though he quickly learned there was some rivalry among them, as almost immediately Chief Saksa accused High Chief Suni of slandering the new King, and presented evidence of this. Velmayka was not sure how much of this to believe, so he decided to keep the information to himself until he got to know both men better.

But it did indicate that he was in need of a spymaster as soon as possible. He chose High Chief Num of Nidaros, who had just usurped the title of Jamtland from his nephew Yadne. Yadne had, like his father before him, embraced the Tengri religion. His removal had for some reason triggered a revolt among the Norse peasants in Jamtland, but High Chief Num had been expecting the unrest and had dealt with it personally, saving Velmayka the trouble.

​

For the Royal diviner, Velmayka invited a well-known Komi scholar and adventurer named Koksha Viryayid to Yaroslavl to serve as the court diviner and help Velmayka with his own theological studies. Koksha eagerly accepted the invitation, as his days of adventure were behind him, as he suffered from a touch of gout. He and wife Yiltis soon arrived.

With his his Council now filled out, Velmayka now turned his attention to the two Vladimir wars King Syrka had committed Merya to. The Meryan army had taken point in the Vladimirian Conquest of Käkisalmi while the Vladimirian army was focused on defending against the subjugation by Estonia. King Syrka had had little desire to fight his son in-law King Nalka and his pregnant daughter Queen Sochava, even though his suzerain contract had forced him to join the war. The Meryan army had already captured Käkisalmi and sent prisoners back to Merya and had won a brief skirmish at Raivola, adding another prisoner, commander Hakon Skarfr, the son of the Chief of Käkisalmi. Eskild of Käkisalmi was quick to pay ransom for his only surviving son.

The Meryan army then captured Uusimaa and took the brilliant Skuld af Austergautland, the wife of Bo of Uusimaa, prisoner. Bo was also eager to ransom his wife, but the lustful King Velmayka instead claimed Skuld as his first concubine. She was unhappy to be separated from her son, Dan Bosson, but her ambition saw the advantages of being the concubine of the powerful King of Merya, as Velmayka showered her with gifts. Bo of Uusimaa swore venegeance against King Velmayka for stealing his wife. But that didn’t stop him from soon taking another wife, a Pomeranian woman named Zdenka z Rujani.

The capture of Uusimaa was enough to get King Gosciwuj ‘the Hunter’ of Sweden to surrender Käkisalmi to King Purysho of Vladimir. This returned the Suomenusko Holy site of Raivola back to the control of a Suomenusko King. This meant all five of the holiest sites of the Suomenusko Gods were safely in the hands of the Suomenusko faithful, though only two, Pereyaslavl Ryazanski and Perm, were within the boundaries of Merya. Raivola and Solsty in Novgorod were controlled by Vladimir and Hiiumaa was in Estonia.

With the war against Sweden over, Velmayka was free to lead his army against Estonia. He did not have the personal connections to the King of Estonia to make him hold back his aid as King Syrka had. In Izborsk, King Velamyka led 5,000 Meryans against 1,200 Estonians led by King Nalka. Half of the Estonians were killed, while Velmayka lost only 38 men. His first victory as King.

But while Velmayka was leading men in battle, his wife was straying. Word soon reached Velmayka that Queen Tetyava was pregnant. He knew he could not be the father and sent a spy to find out the truth. It was soon discovered that High Chief Viryas of Latgale, one of King Syrka’s sons, was the true father of the child. Tetyava pleaded that Viryas had seduced her, taking advantage her jealousy that Velmayka had taken Skuld as his concubine, and she had strayed just once in a moment of weakness. But Velmayka had not forgiven her, despite her excuses, and revealed her adultery.

But before her adultery had been revealed while the King was still away at war, Queen Tetyava had been proclaimed the Queen of the Harvest by the King’s Council, in Velmayka’s name, at the festival that was held in Yaroslavl and she had won the love of the peasants. The shaman had blessed her pregnancy and her unborn bastard. This made had made it politically impossible for Velmayka to divorce her or do anything else to her. She soon secluded her self to not flaunt her adultery before the King and the people of Yaroslavl. The strain of her adultery was effecting her mental stability though.

King Velmayka continued to fight the war, defeating the remnants of the Estonian army in the Battle of Latgale. This was followed by the Battle of Ledurga, not against an Estonian army, but an allied army. With the victory at Ledurga, King Nalka called off his war to subjugate Vladimir. Velmayka’s inherited obligations from King Syrka were now resolved.

He returned home to find his wife with her new born son, the bastard, Murunza Viryasid.

 

[Dunaden]

987 – 990 The Plaguebearers

They both came from the east and both brought death and despair with them. Rumors of their coming had been spreading for the last dozen years, each story more unbelievable than last. Often the stories would become confused and entangled, so much so that they became interchangeable.

The first stories reached Yaroslavl over a decade ago, rumors of an unstoppable horde lead by a former slave, coming out of the east, from fabled Hinduston. They spoke of Sabuktigin ‘the Conqueror’ of Multan and his 50,000. His 50,000-man Ghaznavid horde that left a swathe of destruction; broken castles, pillaged cities, desecrated temples and hundreds of thousands of dead as they swept westward. Initially, it was said, the kingdoms and empires raised armies to try and stop the advance, but these were brushed aside, adding their numbers to the dead. They tried bribes and offered tribute, but the Horde had no interest in anything but pushing ever westward. After that, the kings just tried to cleared as many of their people as they could out of the path of the horde and prayed that the Ghaznavids would pass swiftly through their lands.

It was some five years after the initial rumors of the Ghaznavid Horde, that the rumors of an epidemic, the Black Death, appeared far to the east. First in the Western Protectorate and then in India. Again there were stories of unimaginable numbers of dead, bodies piled in the streets, and the noon day sun blotted out by the smoke of the burning dead. This Plague also swept westward, and it appeared to be following the same path as the Ghaznavid Horde, through India and into Persia.

But even with a 5-year head start, the Plague was soon fast on the heels of the Horde, and so the stories became entwined. One version had the Ghaznavid, fleeing the Plague, destroying any who might slow them down and allow the Plague to catch them up. The other version was the Plague was another weapon of the Horde, they were the Plaguebearers, living only for slaughter and the end of mankind. It was certainly true that the destruction the Horde had left in its wake had left the survivors too weak and unprepared for the epidemic and they soon died in even greater numbers. But the Plague spread well beyond the Hordes’ path, finding it way into lands and countries untouched by the Horde. And if Sabuktigin ‘the Conqueror’ hadn’t originally been fleeing the Plague, he certainly was now.

The Sunni Caliph Ali III saw both of these disasters heading straight for him. One, the Plague, was certainly God’s wrath and could not be stopped. But the other could be turned into God’s weapon and put to good use. The Caliph would use his position as the leader of the Sunni faith to redirect the Ghaznavid Horde. He would call on Sabuktigin ‘the Conqueror’ to join a Jihad against the enemies of God. Sabuktigin was a faithful Bedouin Sunni just like the Caliph and Caliph Ali III hoped he would be willing to use his power to support a Jihad, and be directed away from pillaging his way across the Taid Sultanate in Persia and falling upon the Umayyad lands in the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula. And adding further chaos in Egypt where the Muhallabid were still fighting against the Catholic Crusade.

Ali had briefly thought of trying to get the Ghaznavid to join their fellow Sunni in defense against the Crusade, but that would be like asking a swarm of locust to only eat one type of flower, all he could hope to do was divert the swarm to another’s fields. In this case, the most powerful Catholic ruler’s fields, the Holy Roman Empire. The Sunni Caliph called on all righteous Sunni Muslims to take up arms against Emperor Arnulf of the Holy Roman Empire in a Jihad for Sicily. And then he sent emissaries to Sabuktigin ‘the Conqueror’ to enlist his aid, promising him supplies and ships on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean to carry him and his 50,000 men to Italy. Sabuktigin ‘the Conqueror’ agreed, hoping to put the sea between his people and the Plague.

Months later, the Ghaznavid fleet made landfall in southern Italy and descended upon the unsuspecting populace. A populace who had spent the last two centuries under the sure protection of the Holy Roman Empire; A populace who scarcely gave credence to the tales of some monstrous horde ravaging India, Persia, and Middle East; now a populace that suddenly found that very horde breaking down their gates and invading their homes. But the Ghaznavid received their own shock, the Plague had arrived in Italy before them, there was no where left to run. And Sabuktigin ‘the Conqueror’ was tired of running, this time the Ghaznavid horde did not descend like locusts upon the lands of Sicily and then move on, this time they would stay and make their stand against the Holy Roman Empire, the Plague, and anyone one else who dared to challenge them. Thus the Ghaznavid Sultanate was born in southern Italy as the Holy Roman Empire reeled in shock from the arrival of the Plague and the Plaguebearers.

Caliph Ali III has successfully directed the Ghaznavid horde away from Muslim lands and dropped all 50,000 of them right into the middle of Christianity, right on Rome’s doorstep.

***********************************************************

While the drama played out in Persia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe, life in Merya continued undisturbed by any of these rumors. King Velmayka was still trying to find his feet as King. While Velmayka had been fighting Estonia in the west, raiders had crossed the border in the east and looted and pillaged Tynea. During the Tynea raid, they had burned down the new Hillfort that King Syrka had constructed. The nomads in Tynea saw this as an opportunity to cause trouble, so King Velmayka pledged funds to rebuild the Hillfort.

His Council was still unsettled, with more petty rivalries coming out, with his spy master High Chief Num of Nidaros saying that the Steward Chief Valto of Belo Ozero needed to be discouraged from joining factions. And Valto protesting that he understood his obligations as a vassal.

He also tried his hand at diplomacy. He sent gifts to the independent High Chief Tutyra of Polotsk, to try and persuade him to voluntarily accept vassalization and join his brothers as vassals to the Kingdom of Merya. Half of Tutyra’s children were living in Yaroslavl already, as they had lived there all their life with their grandfather King Syrka. But High Chief Tutyra was not ready to give up his independence.

​

After that diplomatic failure, Velmayka next offered to join King Nalka ‘Ironside’ of Estonia, the man he had just fought against as an ally with Vladimir, in his war to subjugate Minerve Lithuania. King Nalka gladly accepted his aid and Merya was again at war. As Minerve Lithuania was of little threat, King Velmayka just sent the Merry Men under Chief Kayghalagh and Commanders Uzhara and Naruchad to deal with it. By the end of the year, the Merry Men had defeated the enemy army in the field and sieged down their holdings in Kurzeme, effectively winning the war and greatly improving Estonian-Meryan relations, though there was still the issue of Nalka’s ambitions of perhaps one day pressing his own claim to the throne of Merya, which he held as the late King Nuyat’s son.

King Velmayka’s last diplomatic act was publicly appearing to have forgiven his wife, Queen Tetyava for her indiscretion, named Murunza Viryasid. Of couse privately, he was still spending little time with her. Instead, he spent most of his time with the brilliant Skuld and his new concubine, the almost as bright, Styaka Chumbulatid, daughter of the late Chief of Grodno, Varaka the Giant. This paid off as Skuld was soon with child. She soon gave birth to King Velmayka’s first child, a daughter they named Chechama.

Then Velmayka turned to religious matters, he publicly declared the great Ukko, the God of the Sky, and bringer of the harvest, as his patron diety. He hoped Ukko would guide he and his Kingdom to further prosperity.

But to even further show his devotion, he did something no other Meryan King had done since the days of Erziya ‘the Bold’ and King Dergun ‘the Shadow King’, he applied to join the Followers of Otso. Chief Arti of Thisageta, a Hero in the Followers of Otso and vassal to the High Chief of Tver, took the King in hand and arranged his initiation duel. He was pitted against another man named Arti, a Fledgling commoner. This Arti seems happy at the chance to administer a beating to a noble, no less a King.

The tradition is to fight initation duels with wooden staves, putting the one-handed King Velmayka at a disadvantage from the start, but he makes no complaint as he accepts his staff. Velmayka does manage to poke Arti in the face with the end of his stave, but his one hand is not strong enough to completely block a powerful two-handed overhead blow that forces his own staff to bounce off his skull and knock him to ground. Groggily, he struggles to continue, but they stop the fight, declaring Arti the winner. The Hero Chief Arti offers King Velmayka a postion in the Followers of Otso, praising his bravery and optimism in facing their challenger with an unfamiliar weapon and Velmayka is presented with his Fledging scarf. Velmayka's head wound soon heals, leaving him another scar.

Chief Ovtay of Izborsk of the House of Man, a Veteran in the Followers, offers to help Velmayka learn to fight with his one hand, Velmayka gladly accepts. Chief Ovtay helped Velmayka over come his fear related to his disability in combat, and they become friends.

His final act of devotion to the Gods, Velmayka decided to worship his ancestors and ask for prosperity and growth for the realm by offering up a prisoner in sacrifice. However, the only prisoner in his dungeon is madman, who had been there for years. The madman claims to be Nuyaksha ‘the Wise, the High Chief of Tver. But that is a ridiculous notion, Nuyaksha ‘the Wise’ died years ago, and his sons and heirs had long ago split up his lands and titles. Despite his long confinement, the madman is almost inhumanly strong, resisting mightly as he is dragged to the sacred grove and his throat is slit below one of the bear skulls hanging from the trees in the center of the grove. Such a strong sacrifice would be pleasing to the Gods. Velmayka did have a slight feeling of unease, if the madman had truly been Nuyaksha 'the Wise' of Tver, that would make Velmayka a tribal kinslayer. But that would also mean that King Syrka, or someone else, had lied about Nuyaksha’s death all those years ago.*

Shortly, after the sacrifice, Queen Tetyava is again pregnant, insisting this time that Velmayka is truly the father. Her worries over Velmayka’s distrust of her, lead her to have a troubled pregnancy, and Velmayka’s kind nature dislikes seeing her suffer, so he comforts her. She eventually gives birth to son, who is named Ayzren. The baby boy is sickly, the result of the troubled pregnancy, no doubt. Chief Valto, the current healer is called in to treat the boy, but his efforts have no effect. Velmayka decides to remove any distractions that might be interfering with his son’s treatment and relieves Valto of his duties as Steward so he can concentrate on taking care of Azyren. Chief Shindyay of Smolensk, a better steward and more loyal vassl replaces Valto on the Council. Valto still fails to help Velmayka’s son, so he is replaced as healer by Koksha the Diviner. While Velmayka frets about the health of his son, his concubine Styaka announces she is pregnant.

Independent High Chief Tutyra of Polotsk, would die of an infected wound. His son Shkay became the new High Chief of Polotsk. Velmayka renews his offer to Polotsk for vassalization, but like his father before him, Shkay refuses.

Then King Purysho ‘the Monster’ of Vladimir dies. King Virdyan II, also known as ‘the Cruel’, is now King of Vladimir, as well as Nenetsia and Novgorod. He also remains a tributary of King Velmayka. But while he has retained all the Kingdom titles, he doesn’t hold onto all the lands as many of Vladimir’s former vassals refuse to bend the knee and acknowledge Virdyan II as their King. The former King of Nenetsia, Chief Khaireddin 'the Frog' of Votyaki is the first to proclaim his independence. He is followed by Chief Tiskshayka of Dvina, High Chief Kharuchi ‘’the Moaner’ of Kargopol, and High Chief Arvet of Pskov. Velmayka seizes the opportunity and offers vassalization to all of the newly independent chieftains. The Chiefs, Khaireddin and Tiskshayka, accept the offer, bringing Votyaki and Dvina and other titles back into Merya, but the two High Chiefs refuse, preferring their independence.

There is soon another change in the Council. High Chief Num of Nidaros, Velmayka’s spymaster is murdered by Chief Erziya of Galich Mersky, the reason for the murder is not known. Velmayka appoints his concubine, Skuld, as the new spymaster.

Nyalku Samayid inherits the High Chiefdom of Nidaros, he is another of the late High Chief Salinder’s sons who have embraced the Tengri Sky Gods. But that is not the most disturbing news to come from Nidaros. Sickness is running through Naumdal, the Plague has appeared in the outer reaches of Merya.

Two months later it has crossed the Baltic Sea and is in Estonia and on Merya’s western border.

* the mad man was who he claimed to be, Nuyaksha 'the Wise' of Tver (my game crashed at one point and I had to restart from an earlier save, which resurrected Nuyaksha after he died, but I didn't realize that until I actually got to this point of needing a sacrifice and Nuyaksha reappeared as my prisoner) . I tend to think one of Nuyaksha’s sons got tired of waiting for Nuyaksha to die in prison and keeping him from his inheritance and bribed a jailor to report him dead, so he could inherit.

 

[Dunaden]

991 - 996 The Plague Years

For five years the Plague ravaged the Kingdom of Merya. Death reached into every hut, village, and temple. No one was spared, not slaves, peasants, warriors, shamans, or even nobility. Young and old, weak and strong, all died. It started in the west and swept eastward, as if returning home in the Far East after going as far west as it could and slaughtering millions across the known world. Of all that known world, only the island of Iceland was spared. Unfortunately for High Chief Suni II of Iceland, he never made it home to that sanctuary from Yaroslavl where he served as War Chief on the Council. His successor, High Chief Buðli of Iceland, was brutal in his methods of keeping the island plague free.

The Kings of Merya typically had some 20 Chieftains as direct vassals. During those 5 years, 50 times new Chieftains came forward to pledge their fealty to replace vassals felled by the Plague. But the deaths were not spread evenly across Merya, while the Chieftains to some titles were replaced multiple times during these dark days, other Chieftains were spared completely, though they still watched too many of their family, friends, and people die.

Whole clans were wiped out by the Plague, the Houses of Man, Hasabid, and Uzharid ceased to exist. The ancient House of Torzhokid, founded by the legendary War Chief Vechkas who served the first Kardazids, was reduced down to a single member, High Chief Tyushtya of Veps. Luckily, he survived the plague and is still young enough to possibly rebuild his House. Even the largest and most powerful clan in Merya, House Kardazid, suffered staggering losses. Before the Plague arrived, the Kardazid Clan boasted over 200 living members, but in the darkest days, they were reduced to 78 survivors spread across the three Kardazid kingdoms. This death toll reached into the very heart of the Kingdom of Merya to Yaroslavl itself.

The Plague killed the Kingdom of Estonia, though it would take years for it to die. King Nalka ‘Ironside’ didn’t die of the Plague, he was murdered in the chaos as refugees flooded his capitol. The giant Chumbulat became the new King of Estonia, but he was already showing symptoms when the crown was placed upon his head. But it wasn’t his death that killed Estonia, it was the death of High Chief Pokshayka of Estonia and his family, the first prominent members of the Kardazid Clan to die of the Plague. For with their deaths, the High Chiefdom of Estonia, half of Chumbulat’s Kingdom was torn out of Estonia as King Velmayka of Merya was surprised to learn he had inherited all the land and titles. King Chumbulat’s death soon after further weakened the remaining Estonian Kingdom. King Virdyan ‘the Cruel’ of Vladimir showed no mercy, unaffected by the death all around him, he took this opportunity to launch a subjugation war against the broken and scattered remnants of Estonia under its new King Shoksha, and to call his suzerain, King Velmayka into it. Velmayka agreed to join the war, but had no intention of sending any men.

As the Plague and war ravaged Estonia, King Velmayka of Merya was at a loss as to what he could do. He collected news from all over the world and was staggered by the devastation. He learned of the successful Jihad for Sicily with the Ghaznavid Horde descending on the Holy Roman Empire.

He learned that four Byzantine Emperors had died from the plague in quick succession. The current Basilissa Romylia ‘the Just’ is 65 years old and dying of cancer and an infected wound and also defending against the Shia Caliph Musa and his own Jihad for Sicily, trying to match the Sunni Caliph’s success. She had inherited the throne from her own son, who first lost all his children, and then lost his life.

He learned that the Sultan Sami of the Muhallabid had hid in his palace and feasted while his people died in the thousands from the Plague and from the Crusaders ravaging the land. Then Sheikh Mirza of Meltene led a revolt and overthrew Sultan Sami ‘the Decadent’, shattering the Muhallabid Sultanate into dozens of Emirates and Sheikdoms from the Black Sea to the Horn of Africa, vacating the thrones in Egypt and in Trezibond in Asia Minor that had been held by the Muhallabid clan for centuries. This also ended the decade-long Catholic Crusade as the Egypt they had come to conquer no longer existed. Though House Muhallabid still survives as Sami’s distant cousin, Ghalib, is the Sultan of Maghreb.

Only Badshah Mansur ‘the Holy’ of the Umayyad Empire appeared unfazed by the Plague, secure in his capitol in Iberia and guiding his people through these trying times.

Queen Æthelhild of England was last member of the ruling House of St. Cuthbert when she inherited the throne from her brother after he fell to the Plague. But she is young, only 21, and unmarried. If she marries matrilineally and has children, she can still preserve her house.

Closer to home, King Gosciwoj 'the Hunter' of Sweden died of the plague and his lands were split in two. His older son becomes Gosciwoj II of Sweden while his younger son, 10-year old Trojden Polan has been crowned King of Poland. Both boys were already showing symptoms when they came into their kingdoms. A month later Sweden needs a new King as Gosciwoj II also died of the Plague. His kinsman Twardomir Polan was then crowned, but he was also doomed. He lasted two months and then his sister Jadwiga was crowned Queen of Sweden. Queen Jadwiga ‘the Cruel’ would last 3 years, then also die of the Plague. Judyta Polan would be crowned as the next Queen of Sweden. Young Trojden, on the other hand, would survive his bout with the Plague and still be King of Poland when the it receded four years later.

The Kingdom of Suomi was also ravaged. King Armas ’the Wise’ and his successor, King Kuuti ‘the Whiner’, would both fall victim to the plague in the first year. Reko Karjalainen would then claim the throne. He would survive, but see all his family die, parents, siblngs, wife, and child. Once the Plague had passed, he remarried and claimed three concubines, desperate to rebuild his family.

Lithuania also lost two Kings, both within a week of each other. King Kol of Lithuania claimed the empty throne.

Estonia ‘s troubles continued, after Chumbulat I died, three more Kardazid Kings would die in quick succession to the Plague. Now King Chumbulat II has inherited the throne and the war with King Virdyan ‘the Cruel’ of Vladimir.

But all these stories of the plague’s devastation give no clue on how to survive it. King Velmayka’s Diviner and healer, Koksha, went out to try and study this plague, but he never returned. A new healer was quickly found, one of Velmayka's newly inherited Estonian vassals, Shaman Chichayka of Hiiumaa, but he would also fall victim.

By that time, it was too late, the Plague was sweeping through Merya with news of peasants and Chiefs dying everyday and it had reached Yaroslavl along with a flood of refugees. The tragic news pours in from all corners of Merya and Velmayka finds it hard to keep track of the dead. His focus narrows to Yaroslavl, as his Council is devastated, War Chief Suni is the first to die, soon followed by his replacement, Commander Pokshayka. The High Chief of Veps, Tyushtya Torzhokid, is the third War Chief in a year, but he would survive his own brush with the plague, though the rest of his family would not. The Steward, Chief Shindyay of Smolensk is soon dying, lying in a coma. High Chief Tolik of Velsk takes up his duties. Two Diviners had already died when the Plague strikes the Royal Family. Velmayka’s son, Azyren, who had always been a sickly child was the first to show symptoms. Desparate, Velmayka finds Marava, the High Chieftess of Zavarot, among the refugees, and makes her healer and Diviner, and begs her to save his son. She fails, but she is soon beyond any punishment as she dies soon after. Queen Tetyava, who never left her son’s side, is soon buried with him. King Velmayka’s two daughters, Chechama and Ashava, soon show symptoms as well.

Velmayka personally cares for the tiny girls along with their mothers, Skuld and Styaka, until he and Skuld both catch the dread Plague. Word is sent across the river to the current heir of Merya, High Chief Tul of Vologda, that he may soon be called upon to take the throne. But Velmayka continues to fight on, lingering for a month.

Then a new healer arrives, Chief Mordvinko of Läänemaa. Mordvinko suggests an experimental treatment, that may succeed, or hasten Velmayka’s death. He warns, even if it succeeds there will be a price to pay. Velmayka is desparate and agrees. Mordvinko tries several approaches, carving deep into Velmayka’s flesh, even taking one of his eyes. But he finally figures it out and Velmayka is cured.

Mordvinko immediately puts what he has learned to use in treating the King’s daughters, albeit using a somewhat gentler approach. And soon they are both recovering. But Mordvinko is too late to save Skuld, but at least she lasted long enough to see that her daughter would live. She had been devastated several months earlier when she had learned her former husband, Bo of Uusimaa, and her son, Dan of Uusimaa, had both died of the Plague.

Velmayka’s concubine, Styaka, had expected King Velmayka to die and had strayed. Velmayka sets her aside as she begins to show some symptoms of the pox. She is sent off to a new court to be married. Two years later she is dead. She had avoided the Plague, but has died of the Great Pox.

Velmayka soon receives more bad news from Chieftess Potyava of Läänemaa who has inherited the title from Velmayka’s Diviner and healer, Mordvinko. Chief Mordvinko had saved Velmayka and his daughters, but he couldn’t save himself. Putyayka of Udine becomes the new Diviner and healer in Yaroslavl, accepting a position that has seen her last four predeccessors die in just three years. She also becomes Velmayka’s lover.

With his surviving children on the road to recovery, Velmayka checks on the rest of his family. His father’s concubine Mastorava is a fellow warrior in the Followers of Otso, she assures him that his parents and siblings are all still healthy, though she mainly discusses her own children, including her oldest son who was born before she became Kichay’s concubine. Her oldest son is Velmayka’s friend and new War Chief, High Chief Tyushtya of Veps, making them step brothers of a kind. Her daughter Chinzhay, Velmayka’s half-sister is married to Syrka of Udine. Her other son, Velmayka’s half-brother, 16-year old Paksyut, has inherited Votyaki, Riga, and Polotsk from the former King of Nenetsia, Khaireddin, who has died from the Plague. Paksyut is also the current heir to the Kingdom of Vladimir and is betrothed to Chieftess Annika of Narva.

Knowing the rest of his family is well, Velmayka is ready to look to the future despite the continug Plague. He must find a new Queen for Merya. While his lover, Putyayka, is already pregnant, she is not prestigious enough to become Queen. He chooses a strong woman, a fellow warrior in the Followers of Otso. She is an Estonian named Lagle kohta Sakala from the court of King Manvydas II of Minerve Lithuania. The kohta Sakala are an ancient Estonian House, giving Velmayka great prestige. The marriage proposal is accepted and Queen Lagle joins Velmayka in Yaroslavl.

She arrives in Yaroslavl very happy with her new circumstances, as Velmayka showers her with honors, naming her the designated regent of Merya, the Master of the Bow, and the Queen of the Harvest. But that happy glow is soon dimmed as next her new husband welcomes a new daughter, Nulzyava, born to his lover, Putyayka. King Velmayka assures his new Queen that the affair had ended as soon as they had been matched, but he still acknowledges that the baby is his. Queen Lagle seems to accept his explanations as she is soon pregnant herself.

Meanwhile, unrest is growing among the population of Merya’s the death toll mounts. The commoners are looking for answers as to why the Gods were punishing them, they begin to whisper and then shout of witches and warlocks causing the Plague, some cult of Tuonetar worshippers. To appease them, Velmayka is forced to instruct his newest Diviner Putyayka of Udine to investigate these claims of witchcraft.

Putyayka’s investigations turn up four people accused of witchcraft. The first is Chief Bihor of Vilnius, a 4-year old boy whose parents had already died of the Plague. The boy’s only crime is his parents were of Khazar descent and worshipped the Tengri Sky gods. Velmayka imprisons the boy for his own safety and then strips him of title to appease the peasants. He sends him away to his Khazar relatives outside of Merya, but does keep Vilnius’ treasury.

The next to be accused is Utyayka Kardazid, a simple-minded kinswoman of the King. Velmayka again has her imprisoned to appease the commoners. Then a few weeks later he quietly releases her and arranges her marriage to High Chief Torvo of Poljamma in Suomi, outside the range of rumors of witchcraft.

These are followed by two older women. Savkëti Tarmaçid, an old Khazar woman, is next to be accused of witchcraft. Again, to appease the peasants she is arrested, and then quietly banished from the land. She is followed by Yiltis, an Uyyghar woman. The same drill, imprisonment and then banishment.

A month later, a huge crowd of peasants gather outside Yaroslavl demanding the witches be tried and punished. Velmayka is at loss as he has already released the accused. But his new spymaster, Skuld's replacement, High Chief Nalka of Tver, comes up with a plan. Velmayka announces that all of the accused have been found guilty and will be executed. A great bonfire is built up outside of Yaroslavl and Nalka has four Plague victims’ bodies, three large and one small, wrapped in shrouds and bound with chains thrown into the fire before the cheering crowd.

Whether or not the “executions” had an effect, the general population believe and perhaps belief is enough. Because as the new year dawns, there are promising signs, the Black Death is receding from the land, only left in a few spots along the southern and eastern borders.

 

[Dunaden]

996 - 1000 The Liberation of Perm

The Plague was receding but the chaos left in its wake needs to be sorted out. The death toll had run through many families, sometimes so deep into families they gave up trying to find the next in line and instead defaulted all claims on the titles to the King. At the end of the Plague, King Velmayka found himself holding 4 High Chiefdoms (Merya, Estonia, Zyriane, and Veliky Ustug) and 9 Chiefdoms. While at the start of the Plague, Velmayka had held only the High Chiefdom of Merya and the villages of Yaroslavl and Uglich.

He had not been the only one to have accumulated titles. His friend Tyushyta Tozhokid as the sole survivor of the Torzhikid Clan had inherited all of his families lands and titles, all under the umbrella of the High Chiefdom of Veps. Other Kardazids found themselves holding multiple High Chiefdoms, such as High Chief Viryas of Bjarmia, one of late King Syrka’s only two children to survive the Plague. Viryas had started as High Chief of Latgale, but had inherited the High Chiefdoms of Bjarmia and Zavarot during the Plague. While his younger surviving brother, High Chief Syrka II of Minsk had not gained any new land. High Chief Surt II had briefly held the High Chiefdoms of Vologda, Bjarmia and Zavarot, but on his death Volgda had gone one way while Bjarmia and Zavarot had gone down another path that ultimately placed them in Viryas’ hands. High Chief Nalka of Tver, Velmayka’s spymaster and current heir, also holds the High Chiefdoms of Mochkava and Karachev.

One of Velmayka’s first acts was to grant two of the High Chiefdoms to local survivors. Chieftess Pokshava became the new High Chieftess of Veliky Ustug, and young Gaya Numid became the High Chieftess of Zyriane. Three months after divesting himself of those extra titles, Velmayka inherited more. When High Chief Tylze of Mari, the Voice of Merya, died of gout, Velmayka was named his heir and along the High Chiefdom of Mari, he also inherited three more Chiefdoms, bringing his total to 12 Chiefdoms, two more than he could reasonably manage. He also inherited something else from High Chief Tylze, his concubine Tatka ‘the Beguiling’. Tatka was already pregnant with High Chief Tylze’s last child, but Velmayka brought her back to Yaroslavl with him. After her son Kezhay was born, Velmayka made her his concubine.

At the same time, Velmayka was actively pursuing another High Chiefdom title. He had decided to bring the independent High Chiefdom of Polotsk to heel and absorb them back into Merya. He had offered his fellow member of the Follower of Otso vassalization first, but High Chief Deryab ‘the Whiner’ of Polotsk had been so rude in his refusal that Velymaka had decided he had tried the carrot long enough. As he personally had claims on the High Chiefdom title as well as the Chiefdom of Kuloy, he had simply started a war to press all his claims for those titles against High Chief Deryab ‘the Whiner’ and make him a vassal. The war was over in a year and Velamyka was back up to four High Chiefdom titles and even more Chiefdoms.

A month after the Velmayka claimed Polotsk, King Virdyan ‘the Cruel’ of Vladimir won his war for Estonia, bringing the remnants of that Kingdom into Vladimir. The former king, Chumbulat ‘the Just’ retains some land and titles as Virdyan’s vassal. Then Virdyan makes the crown of Estonia his primary title, styling himself as King Virdyan II of Estonia. Whatever he called himself, he was still a tributary of Merya. Virdyan’s victory had not been a surprise, but Velmayka was surprised to see Virdyan’s new Queen. During the Plague years, Virdyan’s wife had died and his new wife was Velmayka’s older sister Pemka, who had also lost her own first husband to the Plague.

With the internal borders cleaned up with the war over Polotsk, Velmayka looked outward. Chieftess Chitska ‘the Just’ of Mozhaysk had usurped Serpukhov from Kirdyava Rooslavsky on the southern border, pushing Merya’s extents out slightly. But Velmayka was looking far to the east. The Ashina horde had lately gone through some internal strife as the Plague had swept through its ranks. The Azovi clan that had ruled the Ashina for the past 100 years had been inherited by a 3-year old boy, Mänäs Azovi. While the Azovi had acknowledged him as their Khan, the rest of the Horde would not follow a toddler. The Täbärid Clan had stepped in and claimed the Khaganate under Yerneslu 'the Lecher' of Ashina. The Azovi clan were unhappy, but they woud have to wait for young Mänäs to grow before they could try to reclaim their place in the Khaganate.

Velmayka meant to take advantage of the unrest within the Horde, and so he declared war on the Ashina to Liberate the Suomenusko followers in Perm. Velmayka called his vassals to join him, but eight refused. The reasons ranged from not having enough manpower following the Plague to outright claiming this war was a mistake. Everytime Merya had fought the Khazars, the wars had been brutal affairs with many dead Meryans. Yes, they usually ended up winning these wars, but at terrible costs. After the staggering losses of the Plague, was now the right time to be starting another war?

Velmayka ignored the doubters, he had his personal levys, some 6,800 warriors, and the Merry Men, as well as the vassals who were willing to fight, gather at Yaroslavl.

By the time the first snows were falling the army was marching east. By the beginning of the year 997, they had captured Pil’va. But then Velmayka’s doubters were proven right to some extent, this war would be bloody. Velmayka had been leading a small force of 500 men when he was attacked by a slightly larger Khazar contingent of about 750 men at Kolva. Velmayka’s men were routed, fleeing the nomads and leading them to some late arriving reinforcements, over 1,500 men. But these superior numbers were not enough and the larger Meryan force was also soon put to flight by the nomads. While those skirmishes were being fought in Kolva, a larger Battle took place at Udmurts. Again, the Meryans had a numerical advantage, this time they manage a victory as the Khazars withdraw, but the Meryans lost far more men than the nomads had even in victory.

Udmurts is captured and the temple at Iz, then a fort is built in Khlynov to control that territory.

Velmayka spends all of 997 campaigning in the east. They continue to occupy territory, while the few battle fought, usually go to the nomads, such as the devastating defeat at Alaburga. But despite these defeats in battle, the Meryan numbers prove too much as they take and hold the land. By the start of 998, Khagan Yerneslu 'the Lecher' of Ashina just gives up, ceding the lands of Perm to Velmayka.

The Komi High Chief Kuaz II of Perm is now Velmayka’s vassal. Velmayka welcomes him into the fold and then proceeds to win him over by transferring the vassalage of the other de jure Perm territories that Merya had already held. Chief Malyy of Kudymkar and the newly minted Chief Pivtsay of Tynea and Perm become Kuaz’s new vassals. Kuaz is happier, but he still desires a seat on the Royal Council, for that he will have to wait his turn.

Granting Tynea and Perm to Pivtsay Pivtsayid had reduced, somewhat, Velamyka’s over-extension in regards to personal holdings, but he also still had four High Chiefdoms, which didn’t sit well with his vassals. So Velamyka spends some time sorting out his personal holdings. He grants the de jure title of Illyinsk to High Chieftess Pokshava of Veliky Ustug. And grants the Chiefdom of Kuloy to Pakstyan Pakstyan, a 14-year old orphan in Yaroslavl. Then he gets rid of one of his extra High Chiefdoms, by making his half-brother, Paksyut, High Chief of Polotsk.

The Liberation of Perm has alarmed Merya’s neighbors and they once again begin forming defensive pacts against Meryan aggression. While the Mazdan defensive pact has only one member, Khagan Kül of Kirghiz, the Christian defensive pact soon has seven members, and the pagan defensive pact quickly grows to eighteen members. Velmayka takes the hint and decides to concentrate on domestic affairs for the next couple years.

His War Chief, Tyushtya of Veps, spends that time searching for a rumored artifact, eventually dragging in some of Velmayka’s diplomats as he ventures farther and farther a field in his pursuit. But his search eventually pays off, and he presents Velmayka with the Tongue of Great Hero. Velmayka thanks him and adds it the treasury along with the other body parts of Heroes collected over the years, skulls, feet, and arms.

The Court Diviner spends the time converting people of Perm and Vitebsk to follow the Suomenusko Gods.

And King Velmayka spends the time building, first expanding the market in Uglich, then building up his rank in the Followers of Otso, by training to become a Veteran, and then building up his family, as he and Queen Lagle ‘Red-cheeks’ have a son they name Kezhedey Kardazid. For a while, Velmayka feared that Queen Lagle would lose the child as she fought a duel while pregnant that she lost and was badly wounded, losing her hand, but the she was still able to deliver their son in good health. Of course, now the King and Queen of Merya only have two good hands between them.

 

[Dunaden]

1000 – A New Millennium

The world reached the year 1,000 A.D. and despite the Christians’ fears, it was not the end of the world, though the Plague had convinced many that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalpyse had been released. But while the world had not ended, it had been reshaped by the Plague and other events of the past 50 years.

Let us begin with the Horde that had been the people of Merya’s foe for centuries, the Khaganate of Khazaria. It is a threat no longer. It had never really recovered from the defection of the Yabghumakh Clan, when they abandoned the nomad life to found the Kingdom of Al-Jazira under Khan Bihor ‘the Evil’ in 970. Internal squabbles and revolts over which clan would lead the Khaganate had weakened it, and many of the peoples that had been subjugated over the centuries broke free. The once mighty Khazaria is now reduced to a tiny foothold on the shores of the Black Sea, lead by Khagan Mënümarót of the Çatid Clan. Just to their east is the Kingdom of Al-Jazira and the clan that abandoned them to their fate.

The Alans under Khagan Urdure III 'the Seducer' of Sathisi, now dominate the plains south of Merya with the Bulçir, one of the Khazar clans, under Khagan Samsam of Bulçir, that abandoned Khazaria, as their tributary. Further east is the other Khazar horde, the Ashina, under King Velmayka’s recent foe, Khagan Yerneslu 'the Lecher' of the Täbärid Clan who had claimed the Khaganate as a direct result of the Plague weakening the previous ruling Clan, the Azovi.

The eastern Steppe, beyond the small Pecheneg horde of the Çepni, is dominated by the Mazdan hordes, the Kirghiz under Khagan Kül 'the Lionheart' of Kirghiz and the Uyghur under Khagan Bars of Uzur. The power of the Western Protectorate is broken, the Protector General Wu Yanshang 'the Cruel' no longer commands tribute from the steppe nomads in the north or from the Tibetan Empire to the south, though he still commands some tribute from farther south in India. But Tsenmo Purgyal Tricham of Tibet is free from the Chinese influence.

To the south in fabled Hindustan, the Buddhist Pala Kingdom is growing more powerful under Mahahraja Mahendrapala, encroaching on the lands of the Hindu Ayudha Kingdom, pushing Mahahraja Vajrayudha II toward the west. The Ayudha Kingdom has absorbed some of the smaller Rajs that bordered his western boundary to make up for what he had lost to Pala in the east.

The south of India is still dominated by the Hindu Rashtrakuta Kingdoms. Mahahraja Govinda of the Rashtrakuta Kingdom and Mahahraja Srivikrama of the Tamilakam are the last remaining tributaries to the Western Protectorate. But the other Rashtrakuta Maharaja, Maharaja Satyasraya of the Maharasta is free from outside influence. Maharani Kubira 'the Just' rules the Lambakanna Kingdom, a Buddhist sanctuary on the island of Sri Lanka.

West of India are the Muslims lands. The Sunni Sultan Ghalib 'the Monster' still holds the various Kingdoms, including Persia and Khorasan, Punjab and Sistan, and Transoxiana, that make up the Taib Sultanate. The Sultanate has remained stable for the past 50 years with little change to its vast borders.

West of Sultan Ghalib are the eastern lands of the Shia Caliph. The Fadlid Caliphate continues to grow, slowly but steadily, the scattered pieces of the sprawling lands slowly uniting as intervening lands are absorbed. The fall of the Muhallabid Sultanate to decadence has left Anatolia in pieces and ripe for the Shia to finally unite its eastern and western arms.

Emir Jabir II of the Subaid Emirate is the one of the larger remnants of the northern half of the fallen Muhallabid Sultanate and he is already under attack from several of the Shia Caliph’s vassals. The southern half of the Muhallabid Sultanate has broken up into a dozen Emirates and they are still adjusting to their sudden freedom after hundreds of years as vassals to the Muhallabids.

While his vassals were attacking the Subaid Emirate, the Shia Caliph Musa was focused on his Jihad against the Byzantine Empire, trying to claim the slender toehold that the Greek Empire still held in Sicily. Basilissa Romylia ‘the Just’ had not lived long, and Basileus Anatolios II of House Mamoulianos now ruled the the Byzantine Empire. He had already lost most of his holdings in Italy to the new Ghaznavid Sultanate, and was losing the Jihad for his last holdings in Sicily. The Byzantine Empire was shrinking and almost completely surrounded by expanding Muslim powers.

Sultan Sabuktgin ‘the Conqueror’ was at peace for the moment. The Ghaznavid Sultanate had already defeated the two most powerful Christian Empires in the space of 10 years and now controlled most of south end of the Italian Peninsula. Even after the devastation of the Plague and defeating the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, he still commanded close to 40,000 troops. The question on everyone’s mind was where would he go next.

It was certainly on the mind of Pope Ioannes IX 'the Wicked’ as the lands of the Papacy were directly adjacent to the Ghaznavid Sultanate and stood between Sabuktgin ‘the Conqueror’ and the rest of Europe.

Ghaznavid’s other neighbor, Sultan Ghalib of Maghreb, who owned Messina on the island of Sicily as well as the coast of Africa to the south, was too exhausted to be worried. He was the last powerful member of House Muhallabid, but he had just barely survived a revolt against his tyranny. Whether Sultan Sabuktgin ‘the Conqueror’ might want Messina or a foothold in Africa, Ghalib would worry when war was declared, not before.

To the west of Maghreb was the Umayyad Empire. Badshah Mansur 'the Holy' had claimed the Sunni Caliphate and now called himself Caliph Mansur 'the Holy' of the Umayyad. While physically he was a coward, he did not fear any Kingdom or people. Kaiser Emelrich Stephanid of the Holy Roman Empire could not match his strength and the border between their two Empires had not changed in a century. Sabuktgin ‘the Conqueror’ had more men than Caliph Mansur, but the previous Caliph Ali III had shown that Sabuktgin would listen to the head of his religion and wouldn’t challenge Caliph Mansur.

So, the Umayyad remained strong in the west and in the east, the Umayyad continued to slowly absorb the Muslim lands in the Holy land and the Arabian Peninsula. With the fall of the Muhallabid Sultanate, there was no one to challenge them in the east as long as they didn’t encroach on the Taid Sultanate’s territory.

Caliph Mansur had not turned his attention toward west Africa. South of his territory, the once united Kingdom of Ghana had collapsed into three realms. The largest piece, the Kingdom of Mali, was ruled by 8-year old Mansa Gane of the Hodhid Clan. His clan had adopted the Sunni religion.

To the east, Mansa Mar-Chindin 'the Pious' ruled the Kingdom of Songhay and still followed the African gods. The smallest piece of the old Kingdom of Ghana was Yatenga, ruled by High Chief Amir 'the Holy', another who had refused conversion to the Sunni religion. The Tunkara Clan who had ruled the united Ghana were all but gone, only the Elder Kolonkan Tunkara, sister to the last Tunkara King remained. With her would die the last memory of a united West African people.

Looking north, we first have the stable Holy Roman Empire. It has lost several Emperors during the Plague years, but its system of electors has kept the throne occupied. Kaiser Emelrich Stephanid is the current ruler. But he has come to rule following the Empire’s greatest defeat in centuries and the loss of its lands in Sicily. Muslim strength is growing all along the southern border. Will the Empire finally face a threat it cannot shrug off?

Next, we go to the British Isles, there we find the isles divided between two young Queens, those of England and of Alban. Queen Æthelhild of England of House St. Cuthbert is still ruling England and a large chunk of Ireland. She is the last of her house, still unmarried, but now has bastard son. If she marries matrilinneally and has children she can continue her line, but for now her current heir is Duke Crimthann 'the Kind' of Lancaster of House Mac Mathgamna. Further north, the former Kingdom of Pictland is now ruled by Queen Denis of Alban, a Welsh Queen of house Seisyllwg. She holds Alban, Wales and a portion of Ireland. She has married matrilinneally and has a son as her heir.

East across the North Sea is Scandinavia. We have seen the troubles that Sweden has suffered during the Plague, yet it still survives under the Polish Queen Judyta of House Polan. The other power in the north is King Reko Karjalainen who holds the Finnish Kingdom of Suomi, who have always been friends and allies of the people of Merya.

But the Kingdom of Norway is no more, the throne of Norway vacated as 8-year old Queen Máidna loses her last holding, Finnmark, in the utter North. The Ulfings had ruled Norway for 200 years, since Steinn Ulfing had united the Norse tribes and created the title, becoming the first true pagan King in northern Europe, and his heirs had held the thrones of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Now only eight Ulfings remain, with only the independent High Chieftess Gerðr II of Finland, clinging to any power.

 

[Dunaden]

1000-1005 Festivals and Prayers

Five years and one war later, King Velmayka still finds himself dwelling on his own bout with the Plague and the losses within his own family and across Merya, he turned his focus away from military matters and once again focusing on theology as he had before he had joined the Followers of Otso, which had also come about from his earlier theology studies.

All these thoughts about what they had been through led King Velmayka to hold a great festival, the festival of Ukon Juhla, in honor of his patron god Ukko in the summer of the year 1,000 A.D. The festival marks the end of the Plague Years and Merya’s survival, thanking the Gods as well as their victory over the Ashina and the liberation of Perm. Bonfires were lit across the land and many feasts and celebratiions were held. Velmayka even makes a pilgrimage to the holy island of Hiiumaa and to give thanks to the guardian spirit there, Kuu.

The people of Merya were pleased with King Velmayka for holding these festivities and felt the Kingdom was finally moving past its losses from the Plague. The moral authority of the shamans of the Suomenusko gods was a higher than it had been for decades as all of the most holy sites were controlled by the faith. Three of them within Merya itself. High Chief Surt III of Vologda had also helped with the moral authority by constructing a new temple in Kostroma.

King Velmayka also continued to concentrate on the Ashina holding large swathes of the taiga in the east. He had High Chief Nyalku of Nidaros working on finding valid causes for reclaiming more territory from the Ashina, perferrably without triggering Holy Wars that might have the war escalate to include all the nomads of the Tengri faith. Nyalku’s first success was a claim on Vetluga, held by the young Khan of the Azovi. This upset the Khan, but seeing how the Khan’s own men were currently raiding Tynea, Velmayka didn’t care if his feelings were hurt. Nyalku was directed to find more claims in the east.

King Velmayka’s oldest daughter Chechama was now 12-years old and focusing on her adult education, with a focus on diplomacy, which suited her nature. Even at 12-years old, she was attracting marriage offers. The first came from a Mazdan nomad far to the east, Khagan Bars ‘the Tormentor’ of Uzur proposed marriage between Chechama and his youngest brother, Anar Uzur. Velmayka declined the proposal. Khagan Bars was not to be put off, and next proposed a match with his own son and heir, Qusqar. Again, Velmayka declined. Another offer came from the Norse King Hjalmar of Lithuania, also declined.

Velmayka’s interest remained in eastern Merya. Near the end of the year, he created the High Chieftain of Komi and granted it to Chief Biyar. This served two purposes, on it reduced the power of High Chief Nalka of Tver. Biyar had been his vassals, so he and his original two tribes were now taken away from Tver. It also reduced the number of vassals reporting directly to Velmayka, while he gained High Chief Biyar as a direct vassal, he removed the Chiefdoms of Lyzha and Kozhva, who became vassals to Komi.

As the first year of the new millennium waned, Queen Lagle was once again pregnant. Just after the Plague had begun to recede, Hero Chief Kezhay of the Followers of Otso had tasked King Velmayka to fight his own wife, Queen Lagle 'Red-cheeks', in a duel of honor. While Velmayka had agreed to the task, he had continued to find reasons to postpone duel for the past two years. Her pregnancy has provided him with another way to delay the duel for at least nine more months.

One of the chiefs in Merya, Chief Tutyra of Bezichy, from the ancient Tyushten Clan, has embraced the Iconclast religion and apparently was plotting against to claim the High Chiefdom of Veps. He had even tried to assassinate, Velmayka’s spymaster, High Chief Nalka of Tver, to try and keep his plot hidden. As he was the not King Velmayka’s direct vassal, Velmayka just notified his friend High Chief Tyushta of Veps of the plot forming against him and left it in his War Chief’s hands as to how we wanted to deal with his vassal Chief.

In western Merya, High Chief Brun of Turov had declared war against Khagan Samsam of Bulçir to liberate Chernigov. It was an ambitious plan, but if Khagan Samsam called in his suzerain Khagan Urdure III 'the Seducer' of Sathisi, Turov would be badly overmatched. High Chief Brun’s ambitions also ran toward independence from Merya, but Velmayka’s spymaster thought he could discourage that. He was wrong, as High Chief Brun rebuffed Nalka’s request and told King Velmayka directly that he would continue in associating with any faction he wished. Velmayka just sarcastically wished him luck against the Khazar and Alan nomads in his war.

To make his wife, Queen Lagle, who was also the Chieftess of Tartu in her own right, happy during her pregnancy, Velmayka supported an increase in the status of woman within Merya, giving then a little more power and freedom. She would soon give birth to a daughter named Valdava. The girl was a sweet, but simple child.

Raiders from Al-Jazira’s lands of Burtasy crossed the border and were pillaging Cheremisa in southern Merya. Velmayka led the Merry Men south to drive them out. The raiders fled at their approach, first fleeing east into Chuvash and fighting a skirmish with local Chuvash warriors, then turning south into Syrt, part of the Ashina territory.

Velmayka was incensed that the raiders had escaped and decided to punish them by leading a retaliatory raid in to Burtasy. The raiders coming back from Syrt were surprised to find the Meryan raiders waiting for them in Burtasy and were ambushed and slaughtered. Velmayka didn’t have enough men to besiege the Burtasy Tribe’s main village, so contented himself with raiding and pillaging their territory.

Velmayka finally called off the raid and returned to Merya when he heard two pieces of disturbing news. His father Kichay, the Chief of Tver, had died in the dungeons of High Chief Surt of Vologda. High Chief Surt had had a legitimate reason to imprison Velmayka’s father as he had rebelled against his rightful lord, but Velmayka was not happy to hear his father had died in captivity. But the living took precedent over the dead.

Velamyka’s Queen was also now a prisoner. She was held captive by Chieftess Mikova of Vanema, a vassal of Lithuania. Queen Lagle had become involved in the war with Lithuania in her role as the Chieftess of Tartu, a vassal of Sakala. Velmayka made sure he was an ally with Queen Lagle, but that didn’t help as it was not her war, it was her liege’s war. And even though Velmayka was suzerain of Estonia, the war wasn’t led by King Virdyan ’the Cruel’, but by one of his vassals, so Velamyka could not join through that route. Frustratingly, there was nothing King Velmayka could do to free his wife, it was part of a war outside of his control. All he could was wait for the war to end, or for Chieftess Mikova to ransom the Queen.

Five months later, the Queen was still still imprisoned and King Velmayka was missing variety in his sex life. He had his one concubine, Tatya ‘the Beguiling’, but had grown tired of spending every night with her. He could have gotten another concubine, but it didn’t seem right expanding their household without his wife’s input. Then Setyamka ‘the Heavenly’, the last survivor of House Robin, caught his eye. She was not the most interesting person to talk to, but she was very beautiful. Unfortunately, she was already married so could not become his concubine, but Velmayka soon found himself in her chambers anyway and enjoying her company without any conversation.

Velmayka felt a little guilty about that lapse, and decided to seclude himself in meditation and prayer to take his mind off the girl. He came back from three weeks in seclusion resolved to be a better man. He also decided his daughter Ashava would also dedicate herself to religious studies. He helped his other daughter Chechama become more diligent and he also spent some time helping a fellow member of the Followers of Otso, Sarak Ngayid, become a braver warrior.

Unfortunately, his resolve and good deeds had come a little too late, as Setyamka was already pregnant. Hopefully, she could convince her husband, Nuyaksha of Udine that he was the father. She couldn’t. Nuyaksha was as dull as his wife, but he could count and had enough paranoia, as any husband to a beautiful woman, to discover the truth.

Some nine months later, young Nalka is born and Velmayka is forced to acknowledge he is the father. Luckily, he is spared his wife’s wrath as she still remains a prisoner and the war drags on. But Nuyaksha of Udine has become a rival.

In July 1003, there were two pieces of good news. Velmayka’s half-brother Paksyut was now the heir to Merya and the defiant proud High Chief of Turov had been soundly defeated and humiliated in his Liberation war.

In news from the outer world, a new Emperor held the Holy Roman Empire, Kaiser Jakob Begonid of the Holy Roman Empire, is the replacement, a grandson of the former Emperor Wilfredo 'the Missionary'. The previous Kaiser Emelrich had been slain in personal combat by a Count Wimarano of Bejaija. And the Umayyad Empire was showing some instability as Caliph Mansur ‘the Holy’ is facing the first challenge to his authority in decades as Khaireddin of the Muzaffaraddin is leading a revolt against the tyranny of Caliph Mansur. Who would come out on top, is not yet known, but it shows the Caliph is losing control as his people are beginning to look to a future without the old man who has ruled them for over 50 years. Someone also mentioned that the Ghaznavid had taken Rome, but that didn’t mean much to Velmayka. Of more interest to Velmayka was that to the east, the Ashina have defeated the Kirghiz and now border Merya to the east as well as to the south.

In the fall, Setyamka ‘the Heavenly’ died of pneumonia, with her died the last hope for a revival of House Robin. Her two old aunts still live, but none of their children are of their clan. Velmayka‘s bastard is the only child Setyamka would bear, and young Nalka had taken the place of any legitimate children Setyamka might have had. Velmayka takes a memento from her gravesite, to remember the beautiful girl.

Also a peasant revolt erupts in Torzhok, led by a warrior named Tutyra. They number over 5,000 men and overwhelm the High Chief of Veps’ smaller army. Velmayka raises 5,000 levys to support the Merry Men and marches west to deal with the peasant revolt in Torzhok. After a single battle the rebel army surrenders their leader to Velmayka and scatters. But apparently some of them fled to Vologda and sparked a new revolt. Velmayka turned his army around and headed back east to deal with this new unrest.

He finds the rebels already fighting some local warriors in Vologda and leads his men to join the fight. In the confusion of the three armies coming together, King Velmayka was separated from his men in the forest. He stumbled upon a group of the peasant rebels. The leader of the group, no doubt seeing an easy kill in a one-eyed, one-handed warrior, charged at Velmayka. But Velmayka avoided the man’s initial spear thrust and with one blow of the Blade of Kings almost completely severed the man’s right leg. As the shock wore off and the pain set in, the man began to scream, but was silenced as Velmayka thrust his blade into the man’s throat. The rest of the peasants were stunned by the ferocity of Velmayka’s attack, then they dropped their weapons and fell to their knees in the snow, begging for mercy.

It turns out that the man Velmayka had killed was Inzhay, the leader of the revolt, and Velmayka had ended the revolt with two swift blows. When Velmayka’s men heard the story from the prisoners, they began calling him Velmayka ‘the Bold’, comparing it the story of Erziya ‘the Bold’ capturing a Khazar Khagan and also ending a war single-handedly. At first, Velmayka wasn’t sure if they were mocking him, as he didn’t think his feat was anywhere close to the Hero Erziya’s, but when he realized they were sincere in their praise, it felt good hearing his men chanting his new name.

Meanwhile, Tatya ‘the Beguiliing’ had become pregnant as Velmayka had returned to her when his affair with Setyamlka had been exposed. Tatya gives birth to a son, who Velmayka named Kichay after his late father. King Velmayka’s oldest daughter came of age, Chechama has done well with her lessons in diplomacy and is considered a charismatic negotiator, content, brave, diligent, and temperate although currently with a touch of dysentery. And a plot is uncovered against the King’s son Kezhedey. It turns out his sister-in-law, Litava, wife of his brother Chief Deryab of Ryazan was behind it. She had given Deryab one son, and was pregnant with another child. So Velmayka just warned her off and told his brother to keep control of her.

​

Velmayka had doubted the Gods during the Plague Years but is ready to rededicate him self to the Gods with heightened fervous and become zealous. He again goes into seclusion for prayers and meditation to trying and determine how to direct this new zeal. Putyayka will act as regent in his absence.

When Velmayka returns from his seclusion, again nothing is resolved other than to try and be a better man. While he is away word comes from the East, High Chief Kuaz of Perm has been killed during his attempted conquest of Vishera against the Catholic Duke Tyuktyuk ‘the Wise’ of Ural. That war ended with his death, and King Velmayka inherited all Kuaz’s lands and titles. Velmayka spends the next few weeks sorting out this new inheritance and trying to reduce his number of holdings. He grants Izhma to Osh Severnayid, a Komi student, and then transfers his vassalage to High Chief Biyar of Komi. But he still has too many Chiefdoms and High Chiefdoms. One day, he spies Murunza Viryasid in Yaroslavl, the bastard son of the late Queen Tetyava’s infidelity. The boy is all alone in the world since the deaths of his mother and half-brother to the Plague. He decides to show his forgiveness to his late wife and grants her son the Chiefdom and High Chiefdom of Mari.

These grants reduced his vassals’ unhappiness with him holding too much land, though he still holds three High Chiefdoms, Merya, Estonia, and now Perm.

 

[Dunaden]

1005 – 1008 Conquest of Burtasy

It seemed that the Meryan retaliatory raid into Burtasy a few years earlier had already been forgotten as raiders from the Al-Jazira outpost were once again crossing the border into Merya. Velmayka decides that a Cheremisa-type solution is required. The defensive pacts against Merya have waned and Al-Jazira was no longer a member of the Muslim pact. So Velmayka launched a war of conquest against Khan Kundaçiq of Al-Jazira to claim Burtasy. This is Clan Yabghumakh’s last piece of the Khazarian steppe they had once ruled for so long. Once they are driven out of Burtasy, their next closest holding is hundreds of miles away to the south of the Caucasus Mountains.

He called his vassals to join him and most answered. High Chief Nyalku of Nidaros didn’t join as he was in the east finding a claim on the Khlynov tribe for Velmayka while his men were fighting a war for take Ångermanland away from Lithuania in the west. High Chief Buðli ‘the Monster’ of Iceland ignored the summons as well as he had just started his own war to force Haukr of Gudbrandalen to become his vassal.

King Velamyka’s Steward and friend, High Chief Tolik, planned to march with the King, but he passed away quietly soon after pledging his support. His 3-year old son, Sirtya, was now High Chief Velsk. Velmayka appointed, one of his courtiers, Sarak Sayalid, as Steward as a replacement for now. He might find a better candidate, or at least one more politically beneficial, after the war was over.

Leading the Merry Men, with some supporting levys and vassals, he arrived in Burtasy first and swept aside the local lord’s men. They captured a Khazar noble named Kayghalagh Khuterkin in the brief battle, a brother of the High Chief of Mordva, the lord of Burtasy. Velmayka had him offered up to the Gods to ask for their favor in this war.

While Velmayka and his warband settled in to siege Burtasy, his vassals led their individual levys south across the steppe heading for the heart of Al-Jazira. Velmayka found he was not as brave as he had been in his youth and was willing to let the younger warriors lead the charge. He had no intention of traveling so far from his capitol when he had plenty of allies willing to head south for loot and glory.

Three months later, Burtasy fell into Meryan hands, claiming six noble prisoners, including the two young children of the Khuterkin Chief as well as as his wife, the blind High Chieftess Maturkka and his cousin the madwoman Yildiz. Velmayka ransomed them all back to High Chief Sartaç. The other two prisoners were the High Chiefs concubines, who Velmayka recruited to his own court. One was from a lesser Khazar clan, but the other was Yartilek Azovi, a granddaughter of a former Ashina Khagan.

Velmayka withdrew his army back into Merya and had them set up camp. They would guard the prize Velmayka was after. Velmayka himself returned to Yaroslavl. As soon as he arrived, he learned that his half brother Paksyut had inherited the High Chiefdom of Turov. High Chief Brun had dropped dead, clutching his heart in the middle of a heated argument. Paksyut, was now High Chief of Polotsk and Turov and held four Chiefdoms. He remained heir to the crown of Merya. Velmayka was also Paksyut’s heir as his only son had died from the Plague.

He also learned that the warriors of Nidaros had claimed Ångermanland from Lithuania for their High Chief while he served Velmayka as the Voice of Merya. This linked Westrobothnia with other Meryan territories by land, ending its time as an isolated enclave.

While Velmayka was waiting word from Al-Jazira, he went to the Lodge and check in with the Followers of Otso. There he ran into his sister Pemka. Pemka had inherited Tver from their father, so was now Chieftess of Tver as well as being the Queen of Estonia. They sat down to reminisce, but soon got roped into a Flyting contest, giving the rest of the warriors there a rare treat. One did not often see a King and a Queen dueling each other in a Flyting contest, which was further spiced up as the two siblings knew all too well how to get a rise out of each other. Pemka lost her temper first, though some of her barbs came close to breaking Velmayka. But after Velamyka soon begged her forgiveness and they were allowed to return to their drinks in peace for the rest of the night.

As winter closed in, an army from Al Jazira arrived in Burtasy to try and free the territory. Velmayka sent his army after them. Velmayka’s vassals had also returned north, so it was with overwhelming numbers that the Meryans fell on the small Al-Jaziran army. There were no survivors to return south. Velmayka sent a messenger with the defeated enemies’ banners to tell Khan Kundaçiq that his army was destroyed and Burtasy remained in Meryan hands and present Velmayka’s demands. Khan Kundaçiq had no choice and surrendered Burtasy to Merya.

As soon as word spread of Merya’s victory, the defensive pacts quickly returned. But Velmayka didn’t notice, he was thinking about two pieces of good news. One was that Tatya ‘the Beguiling’ was pregnant again. The second was much important. After 5 years, Queen Lagle was finally released from the dungeons of Vanema, and had returned home.

Queen Lagle first visited her children in the nursery, Utyayka, Kezhedey, and sweet Valdava. When she returned, she stiffly congratulated Velmayka on his his newest bastard, Nalka, as well as Kichay, the son of his concubine, Tatka ‘the Beguiling’. He could tell she was upset, especially when she reminded him that their duel the Followers of Otso had tasked them with was still to be fought.

Velmayka tried once again to get out of it, protesting she had just been released from a dungeon, but Lagle replied she had been under house arrest and had had nothing to do but train. So Velmayka reluctantly agreed to fight the duel. He let her take her anger out on him for what felt like hours, but she soon tired and missed a blow Velmayka had expected her to block, and she went down with a black eye, ending the duel. The duel had seemed to erase the anger and frustration that had built up while she was locked away and she appeared to forgive him his little transgression and their relationship immediately improved.

With that resolved, King Velmayka planned a great tribal festival to celebrate the Queen’s return. Invitations are sent to all the people of Yaroslavl and all of the King’s vassals. She was eager to help with the preparations, but Velmayka was insistent that this was for her, so instead he and the Queen went off on a private hunting trip while the preparations were finished.

When they returned the Festival was ready to begin as people from across Merya streamed into Yaroslavl for the festivities. All greeted the Queen and thanked the Gods for her release, and they also praised King Velmayka for his devotions to the Gods and his work to improve Yaroslavl and the entire Kingdom.

One of the highlights of the festival was the weaving contest. The contestants were all given the materials and equipment to produce a fine tapestry and were given time to see what they could create. Velmayka was pleased and proud to see his eldest daughter Chechama’s offering received the highest acclaim and won the prize. Chechama is named Queen of the Harvest and chosen to lead the final ceremonies honoring the Gods as the festival comes to a close.

Tatka ‘the Beguiling also gives birth to a son, who Velmayka named Andyamo during the festival. This is seen as as an auspicious sign. Velmayka couldn’t be happier, his wife is free, his daughter is loved by the people, and he has a new son, blessed by the Gods.

Another bit of of good news came shortly after the Festival. Velmayka’s long time rival High Chief Viryas of Bjarmia is dead. His only surviving son 4-year old Tyueykezhurt is the new High Chief of Bjarmia, Latgale, Zavarot and other titles. Viryas died of Great Pox, fitting for a man who slept with everyone. 13-year old Utyayka 'the Heavenly' is heir to her little brother.

Viryas had led one of the two factions in Merya that stood against Velmayka, the one to put himself on the throne of Merya. With his death, only a weak Independence faction remained. Viryas’ death left High Chief Syrka II of Minsk as the last surviving child of the late King Syrka.

Chechama’s acclaim has attracted more suitors, as Khagan Shyrpuzh of the Lowborn, the Komi nomad in the east, wants to marry one of his sons to Chechama. Velmayka declines, but realizes it is time he arranged husbands for both his single adult daughters, Chechama and Ashava. Pentti Karjalainen, a Prince of Suomi, is chosen for Chechama, surprisingly King Reko agreed to a matrilineal marriage between his kinsman and Chechama, most likely to remove a potential rival from Suomi. Velmayka’s daughter Ashava is married to High Chief Arvo of Vasyugan, an independent Khanty leader east of the Urals. High Chief Arvo of Vasyugan is the leader of Clan Yugra.

Velmayka also starts thinking about his daughter 14-year old daughter Nulzyava’s future as well. He has arranged her betrothal to Nyalku Kakoid, one of the many refugees who came to Yaroslavl as the different Chiefdoms came into Velmayka’s hands during the Plague Years. To give Nulzayava a future he had to give the Nenets boy a future as well.

Velmayka already holds more Chiefdom titles than his vassals like, and he has the Voice of Merya in the east fabricating more claims in the Ashina territory. He has already secured two claims, once he has a few more, Velmayka intends to make war with the Ashina again and reclaim more of the taiga along the Volga River right up to the Ural Mountains. He needs to shed many of his existing Chiefdoms to make room for these new territories he hopes to gain. He also has a problem with too many vassals reporting directly too him which he would like to reduce.

So, he decides another round of title grants are in order. He will start making room for the new eastern territories he plans to take from the Ashina, reduce his direct vassals, and help clear out some of the people crowding his hillfort, including his future son-in-law.

Nyalku is the brother-in-law of Chief Pakstyan Pakstyan of Kuloy, so to give his daughter’s future husband some adjacent allies, he grants young Nyalku, the Chiefdoms of Kanin and Snopa. These territories are within the High Chiefdom of Mezen which currently doesn’t exist. So King Velmayka creates the title and grants it and the county of Mezen to Chief Pakstyan of Kuloy, and making him High Chief of Mezen and making Chief Nyalku of Kanin as well as the Chief of Ugra his vassals. This results in a net reduction of one direct vassal and brings him down to 8 Chiefdoms that he personally holds, making his other vassals happier.

Chief Tikshayka Ryazan had died suspiciously and his three titles had been split between his three young sons, 2-year Azyren is Chief of Sedyu, 11-year old Velmayka is Chief of Pskov, and 11-year old Chipaz is Chief of Dvina. All three of them were now direct vassals to Velmayka, where it had used to be only Chief Tikshayka. Velmayka continues his plan to reduce the Chiefs reporting directly to him, by first transferring the vassalage of the new Chief Chipaz of Dvina to High Chief Sirtya of Velsk, another child, only 6-years old. Then young Chief Azyren of Sedyu is given as vassal to High Chieftess Galya of Zyriane, giving her control of all of de jure Zyriane. This leaves only the new Chief of Pskov as Velmayka’s direct vassal.

While Velmayka was dealing with this minutia of ruling. Queen Lagle left to visit her lands of Tartu, which had been under a regency for over 5 years. She would never return. A messenger arrived a few months later to inform the King that his wife, Queen Lagle 'Red-cheeks' of Merya, Chieftess of Tartu, had died of an infected wound.

This news sent King Velmayka into a depression, and he once again began secluding himself in prayer and meditation. His daughter Chechama stepped in and acted as regent during his absences. Velmayka remains depressed about his lost wife, that he didn’t do more to free her, and so lost five years they could have spent together. His depression isn’t helped by the death of his friend and War Chief, High Chief Tyushtya of Veps, who dies from gout. Tyushtya’s 12-year old son, Inzhay, inherits the High Chiefdom, and his younger son Kichay inherits Chlisselbourg. At one point, Tyushtya had been the last member of his clan, now at his death he leaves four children to carry on the Torzhokid name.

A replacement needs to be found for War Chief. While High Chief Buðli of Iceland was more qualified, Velmayka chose his half-brother Paksyut instead to join the Council and become the new War Chief. High Chief Buðli 'the Monster' of Iceland didn’t even realize he has been passed over, he has his own interests in the west where he has launched the conquest for Ynysoedd Orc against Queen Denis of Alban.

Öshkamöshka, a Hero in the Followers of Otso tried to divert King Velmayka from his grief by giving him a new task, to sack the Swedish castle of Schlawe in Slupsk. Velmayka accepted the task, but did little to follow up on it.

It is two events in the west that would bring King Velmayka out of his isolation. The Conversion of Pomerania, where the Slavic High Chief Blazej of Pommerania and his people have been converted to Catholicism and then the Conversion of Gotland where the Germanic Queen Rikissa II of Gotland has converted to Catholicism. Both of these peoples had been persuaded to convert by holy men sent by Kaiser Jakob 'the Missionary’ of the Holy Roman Empire.

 

[Dunaden]

1009 - 1010 The Reformation of the Suomenusko

The news of the recent converions so close to Merya, with Gotland just west of the holy island of Saaremaa, troubled King Velmayka. Others scoffed, saying who cared if the weak neighbors to the west followed the Slavic or Germanic Gods, or this Dead God of the Christians. Velmayka knew that his people, and he himself, had treated the Catholic missionaries as nothing more than amusements and sources of quick ransoms. But the weaker gods of the Slavs, Romuvans and the Norse were slowly being swallowed up by this Christian God and Christians were creeping slowly closer to his borders. Not to mention that strange anomaly to the east, the Catholic Duke of Ural.

Velmayka heads to the sacred grove outside of Yaroslalvl and there he makes a sacrifice, not of a life or a limb, but a great feast, thanking the Gods for the bounty they have bestowed. He asks the Gods and his ancestors for wisdom. The Gods’ answer comes to him in as divine inspiration and he loses his feelings of stress and depression. When he returns from the grove, he once more goes into seclusion to understand and form the thoughts the Gods have given him. He spends weeks, eating the simplest of foods and drinking only water.

When he returns from his seclusion, he has shaped the vision from the Gods into a plan to reform the Suomenusko religion. He calls shamans from across Merya and from the surrounding Kingdoms to discuss his visions.

He feels the people should be Unyielding in defense of their homes and resist as they always have the missionaries of other faiths, and lead wars to reclaim the sacred woods stolen over the centuries by their pagan neighbors.

Also, the current followers of the Suomenusko Gods are the Survivros of Ukko, spared from the plague and they must stand together, they should accept their new leaders as God's chosen right away and do good works to improve the people below them. They should choose the best candidate to lead them, rather than make it political. And every realm should have a dedicated High Shaman to guide each land.

Velmayka most surprising idea it to write down the various myths, legends, and parables of the Suomenusko people as well as rituals, prayers and teachings used by the shamans to communicate with the Gods, and collect it as a holy scripture. The Suomenusko people are scattered across a large territory, each with their own verisons of these stories and rituals. There is much debate among the shamans before an acceptable version of each and every tale, lesson, and chant is agreed upon among the Khanty and Komi shamans in the east, the predominant Mordvins and Estonians in west and the Finns in the north.

In the end, they presented a reformed Suomenusko faith to share across all the peoples and lands who follow the Gods. All of these peoples are encompassed it what will become known as the Sacred Woods, the lands where the followers of this reformed religion dwell.

Shaman Asrava at temple of Hiiumaa on island of Saaremaa becomes the High Shaman of Merya, and is now called Tietaja Asrava, and is the leader of the Sacred Woods’ shamans. Not all of the followers of the Old Suomenusko faith convert immediately, but over half quickly embrace the reformed religion following thelead of their local shaman. The others will convert in time.

For the most part, the Kings, their vassals, the High Chiefs and other Chiefs across Merya , Estonia and Suomi also embrace the change. Velmayka’s half brother and War Chief High Chief Paksyut of Polotsk is one of the first to embrace new religion and new war doctrines, immediately declaring a Holy War for Kiev on Count Vseslav of Korostan.

King Velmayka also demands conversion of one of his few non Suomenusko vassals, the Voice of Merya, High Chief Nyalku of Nidaros, to go from Tengri Sky Gods to reformed Suomenusko. High Chief Nyalku agrees abandoned his Tengri faith and convert to the reformed Suomenusko religion. The Gods seem to reward his conversion, as just eight days later he finishes his work in Qazan. He has not fabricated a claim on the County of Qazan but rather the entire Duchy of Qazan, Velmayka spends gold and prestige to complete the claim. Nyalku is then sent to Ashli to continue gathering claims.

King Velmayka is not finished, he has proven himself to the shamans and leaders of the Suomenusko faith, now he must prove himself to the strong right arm of the Suomenusko Gods, the Followers of Otso. Hero Chief Kezhay challenged King Velmayka to focus more on martial things rather than wasting his time on this religious study and scholarship. Velmayka agrees to consider it, but in reality, he is looking to get the Followers of Otso to support the reformed faith. He looks to the west, he will fulfill the task given him by the hero, Öshkamöshka, a few months ago, and will march west to loot Schlawe, a heathen stronghold. 6,200 men march with him on this raid in force.

Before he leaves, he sees his daughter Nulzyava come of age and married to her bethrothed, Chief Nyalku of Kanin. The first wedding in Yaroslavl following the ceremonies of the reformed faith.

By spring the raiders are getting close to Slupsk and soon the siege of Schlawe is underway. They have seen no opposition to their invasion of the Swedish vassal.

While Velmayka is raiding into the west, High Chief Dergun II of Tver launches a second Holy War under the banner of the reformed Suomenusko faith. This war is for Novosil against Kamaj of Bulcir revolt. And the shamans continue to the spread the reformed faith. The people of Veliky Ustug and Rzheva are soon converted.

By the summer of 1010, the fortress of Schlawe is sacked and the hidden cache found, Velmayka gains renown among the Followers of Otso. He stays long enough to also sack the Slavic temple of Rügenwalde and see the City of Slupsk itself, looted and burned. Then the raiders finally head for home.

Back from the raid, Velmayka is ready to challenge Sarak 'the Blushing' for his seat at the Table of Heroes. They fight a duel and both are wounded, but Sarak gets the worst of it and yields, not just the fight, but his seat at the table. Velmayka is now a Hero of the Followers of Otso.

He has proven the strength of the reformed faith to all the Followers of Otso and has united the warrior order with the spiritual side of the new Suomenusko religion by becoming King Velmayka 'the Bold', the third Hero King of Merya, following in the footsteps of King Erziya ‘the Bold’ and King Dergun ‘the Shadow King’.

 

[Dunaden]

1011-1013 A Dream Deferred

King Velmayka was nervous. Today would change the Kingdom of Merya forever, if his Council followed his lead. He had led them through one drastic change already with the Reformation, but that change had been guided by the Gods and sanctioned by the shamans throughout Merya. And, truthfully, had had little impact on the daily lives of the people of Merya. Only a few of the most zealous still protested the Reformatiion and clung stubbornly to their Old Suomenusko pratices. The Reformation had simply codified what they already believed in, but he had slipped in one doctrine which he planned to exploit to the fullest, for the good of the realm.

Today though, he would be stripping his most powerful vassals, his kinsmen, of their dreams of one day seeing themselves or their sons on the throne of Merya.

The Council was waiting for him; his half-brother, Pakstyan, High Chief of Turov and War Chief of Merya, High Chief Nyalku, the Voice of Merya, Sarak Sayalid the Steward of Merya, Chieftess Potekay 'the Shadow' of Merya, his mistress of spies, and Putyayka of Udine, his Diviner.

After the usual greetings and small talk, he let the Council deal with some other issues first.

Putyayka of Udine spoke up first, “I have received a request from Tietaja Asrava of the Sacred Grove. She says that while Merya controls three of the holy sites of the Suomenusko faith, and the other two sacred sites are controlled by the King of Suomi, these sites are on the fringes of the Kingdom. The new Reformed faith needs a center of worship close to the heart of the Kingdom.”

Nyalku asked “What do you mean?”

Putyayka answered, “It’s simple enough, Tietaja Asrava wants permission to build a new temple in Yaroslavl to mark the place where the inspiration for the Reformation first sparked.”

Velmayka replied, “I see no problem with that, there is land near the sacred grove outside of Yaroslavl where a temple can be constructed.” The rest of the Council nodded in agreement.

Putyayka paused, “She also wishes for the Crown to fund the construction of this temple.”

Sarak looked up, “What? How much does she want?”

Putyayka continued, “It is estimated it will take some 400 gold in stone and lumber and labor over the next two years.”

Sarak started to sputter, but Velmayka cut in, “That is acceptable.”

Sarak subsided, muttering, “…almost a quarter of the treasury.”

The Council moved on, the only other news was that High Chief Buðli of Iceland continued his war against Queen Denis of Alban and High Chief Dergun of Tver had declared his second Holy War since the Reformation, this time against Chief Putiata of Korosten for the Chiefdom of Smolensk.

With that business taken care of, Velmayka knew it was time to bring up his main goal of the Council session.

“As you are all aware, High Chief Nyalku has spent considerable time inn the east, working on giving us justification for reclaiming the eastern taiga from the Khazars. His recent brilliant success with creating a claim on the entire Qazan region has brought us very close my ultimate goal.”

The Council exchanged glances, but Putyayka was the one to ask, “What is this ultimate goal?”

Velmayka smiled inwardly, “The Reformation was the first step in preparing our people to meet the threat posed by these foreign Gods, but the most dangerous threats are united behind a single ruler. The bulk of the Christians to the west all follow the Kaiser Jakob ‘the Missionary’, who’s very nickname indicates his goal to destroy our faith. The Shia Muslims of the Fadlid who are encroaching from the south are united behind their Caliph.”

Sarak was puzzled, “Most of the Suomenusko are already united behind you as King of Merya and suzerain over Estonia. Are you planning to conquer Suomi and bring them into Merya, or making them pay tribute like Estonia?”

Velmayka shook his head, “Making war on our fellow Suomenusko is not what I have in mind to unite us. You are correct, the majority of the faithful are united beneath me, but that will change when I die, as the elected heir will gain the crown of Merya, but large portions of Merya will be split off and given as independent Kingdoms to my sons. I want to keep that from happening.”

The Council looked at each other, Sarak spoke again, “How would you prevent that?”

Velmayka looked at them, “My dream is to follow the example of the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire and go beyond forcing Kings, such as Estonia to pay tribute. I want to create a higher title, a true King above Kings for all of the Suomenusko. So when I die, my sons may be Kings, but will still remain united with their brothers under the new ruler of all of Merya.”

Paksyut, the current heir to Merya, “You wish to create an Empire.”

Velmayka could see his half-brother, picturing himself as second Emperor, but Velmayka’s true goal for the day would dash those dreams.

Velmayka continued, “We are close being able to claim an empire. Nyalku has given us one of the last pieces, with the claim on all of Qazan. If we take Qazan from the Ashina, we will need only two more pieces to have enough of the eastern taiga to claim an Empire from the Volga valley to the Ural Mountains.”

The Council cheered. Velmayka waited until they had absorbed that idea.

Then he looked at each of them, “But that dream will falter if I die before the task is completed, and the Kingdom is split.”

Paksyut protested, “No brother, I understand what you want to do and will continue the task.”

Velmayka smiled at his half-brother, “I know you would, but the electors can be fickle, and there is no guarantee that you will remain heir. Right now, you have strong support, but electors die and new ones take their place, and you, you may not be around to to claim the throne when I die. King Syrka’s place on the throne was decided at the last hour, and the result of meddling by a small group of discontents. That turned out well in the end, but King Syrka knew nothing of any long range plans his predecessor might have had. We need to ensure that the next King is as committed to this dream as you and I.”

Paksyut looked angry and upset and the rest of the Council confused.

Nyalku piped up, “What exactly are you proposing, King Velmayka?”

Velmayka took a deep breath, “I’m proposing to ride my current popularity with my vassals, except for High Chief Buðli of Iceland, who I think can be bought off by stoking his ego by giving him the honorary title Master of the Blade of all of Merya, and change the succession laws in Merya.”

The Council was stunned, Nyalku asked again, “Change them how?”

Velmayka looked around, this was it. “I want to end the practice of electing the next King, instead have it pass to one of my sons, who I can raise up to embrace the dream of a Meryan Empire.”

Paksyut erupted, “You want to steal my rightful place on the throne and give it your son! The boy is barely 12.”

Nyalku stood up, raising his hand. “Paksyut makes a good point, the elections are supposed to choose the best man for the throne. Not to insult you or your son, but the boy is not yet a man, how do we know he will be worthy to rule us.”

Velmayka pressed on, “The Reformation has already provided us with a solution, the doctrine of Meritocracy would allow me to designate the most accomplished of my sons to rule after me, not forcing us to accept the eldest son no matter what. If Kezhedey is unfit for any reason, one of his younger brothers could be selected, or even one his sisters, if need be. Or even a grandchild, should I live long enough to see them grown.”

Nyalku considered, “But you won’t be able to disinherit your other sons completely, gavelkind will still be in effect and your lands will be split among your children, even if you can pick which one is to be King.”

“True, but they will all be raised to understand what I was trying to accomplish and once the Empire is reality, they will remain united.”

The discussion continued for some time, but in the end, Velmayka’s proposal was accepted, and the the succession laws of Merya were changed from Elective Gavelkind to Gavelkind with a designated heir. Paksyut finally came around as he acknowledged that his brother had already raised him up from the youngest son of a simple Chief to a powerful High Chief in Merya by granting him the High Chiefdom of Turov.

Kezhedey Kardazid, Velmayka’s oldest son, became the new heir to Merya for now, but that could change as he and his siblings grew. He would have to eventually earn his place on the throne through merit.

To actually claim an Empire, Velmayka still needed three things. He needed a second Kingdom title, which he could get by usurping the crown of Nentsia from his tributary King, and brother-in-law, Virdyan ‘the Cruel’ of Estonia or by creating a new Kingdom, such as Perm, which he held enough land to do. He needed enough land across the taiga to make the Empire. If he claimed Qazan, he would need just two more Chiefdoms, which he was eying the Christian lands in Ural and the nomad lands of the lowborn, both on the western flanks of the Ural mountains. But to avoid triggering additional defensive pacts and delays, he was planning to start all three wars at once, counting on quick victories against the independent High Chief of Ural and the Khagan of the Lowborn before focusing on the Ashina to claim the real prize, Qazan. The third thing he needed was more piety, to convince the shamans in Merya to bless his endeavor, piety to both claim the Kingdom title of Perm as well as ultimately claim the Empire title once the wars were won.

He sent the Merry Men east to position themselves at the border of Duke of Ural prior to triggering the three wars to claim an Empire.

While that he waited for them to get into position, he dealt with some domestic issues. His daughter Utyayka comes of age, cynical, stubborn, and temperate, askilled steward, but for some reason she had appeared to be very stressed. The reason for her stress soon was made clear as she went into labor and delivered a bastard son. Her stress went away, now that her sin was revealed, but Velmayka’s stress began. Velmayka promises to take care of Utyayka and her bastard. The child is a boy who is called Dobrinya Dobrinyid.

Velmayka's brother Deryab, the Chief of Ryazan, also died of a fever about this time. Velmayka's nephew Shoksha became the new Chief of Ryazan. Velmayaka’s son-in-law Pentti, husband to his daughter Chechama, had made his home in Yaroslavl and had made himself well liked, now known as the 'Affable'. High Chief Kichay of Murom died of the great Pox and his 6-year old son, the King’s namesake, Velmayka Yaroslavlid, inherited his father's titles as High Chief of Murom.

But it was another of King Velmayka’s son-in-laws who would disrupt his plans and cause him to defer his dream for a short time.

High Chief Arvo 'the Sword of Mastor-Ava' of Vasyugan, who was also a fellow member of the Followers of Otso, called on his father-in-law Velmayka to join him in battle, defending against the attempt of Khan Mänäs of Azovi to subjugate Vasyugan. Khan Mänäs was actually the holder of Qazan as a vassal to the Khagan of the Ashina. If he went to war to defend Vasyugan, he would have to hold off on his plan to claim Qazan.

Velmayka spent a couple of weeks in prayer and meditation before making his decision. His daughter Chechama acted as regent again during this period. This period of prayer and meditiation gave him piety in the eyes of the shaman, helping his ultimate goal, but when he returned, his decision would delay that goal. He would go to the aid of High Chief Arvo 'the Sword of Mastor-Ava' of Vasyugan. Almost 10,000 Meryan warriors headed east to help Arvo against the Azovi.

Word reached them along the march that High Chief Buðli had finally won his war against Queen Denis of Alban, taking Temple of Kirkwall and the whole island of Orkney.

Months later, the Meryans would cross through Lowborn territory and the high passes across the Ural Mountains into Vasyugan. But as they came out of the high passes, scouts alerted them to an Azovi horde to the south and they turn into Ashina territory to engage.

The Meryans begin Battle of Tavda against the Azovi and soon the army of High Chief Arvo joined the battle. The 12,000 allies drove off the 5,000 Khazars, but the mounted nomads, managed to escape, losing only a thousand of their men.

After the battle, Velmayka received a messenger from Yaroslavl that showed the Gods were pleased with his decision to come to Vasyugan’s aid. The Voice of Merya, High Chief Nyalku, had managed to fabricate claim on the entire Bolghar High Chiefdom, instead of just the single Chiefdom of Ashli. As the Bolghar and Qazan territories were all vassals to the Ashina, instead of fighting three wars in the near future, a single war would give Velmayka all the territory he needed to found an Empire.

The Battle of Tavda had driven off the Azovi, so the Meryans were free to besiege Yar in Tavda. After a few months they surrendered. But the Meryans had suffered terribly in the siege, losing 100’s of men to disease and hunger. Velmayka had the army retreat back to Meryan territory to recover. There was a brief skirmish with a small band of Khazars at Ust-Katav, before they reached Perm and set up an encampment.

There Velmayka received more news from the the west. It appeared the Finns had enthusiastically embraced the reformed religion and a fanatical group or warriors have formed the Sons of Kaleva, a religious warrior society. Strangely, the Warchief of the Sons is reportedly a man named Satatieto of Trento, a Catholic.

Velmayka also learns his son and new heir, Kezhedey who has begun his martial education had become ill with fever and vomiting. It was determined to be a severe flu, but he was receiving the best of care.

While waiting for his men to recover and better news about his son, Velmayka offers a sacrifice to the Gods, slaughtering a ram. After the sacrifice is made, he feels the presence of the Gods and his feelings of stress and depression lift.

King Velmayka had been a widower now for a number of years, and several woman were vying to become the next Queen of Merya. Sangasa 'Red-Cheeks' Çortahid brazenly offered herself to Velmayka even though she was already married, but he passed on her offer. Menawhile, Chieftess Potekay 'the Shadow' of Merya, his spymaster, offered her daughter, Parava, to Velmayka as a new wife. Parava Kardazid is a nice enough girl though she is as ambitious as her mother. But she is heir to Chiefdom of Merya and Potekay wants the marriage to be matrilineal, Velmayak declines that offer as well.

The Temple of Yaroslavl was completed and Putyayka of Udine, the Diviner of Merya, as well as mother of Velmayka’s daughter Nulzyava, is named Priestess of the new Temple.

When Velmayka felt his men were rested enough, they again marched east into the Ural Mountains. They met the main Azovi army at Yushala, and a Battle began. The numbers were more evenly matched this time, with Merya’s losses and without the support of the Vasyugans. But during the Battle, messengers arrived to both camps. The war was over, Khan Mänäs had abandoned his attempt to subjugate Vasyugan weeks ago. Hundreds of warriors had died in Battle that needn’t have been fought. The two armies disengaged and collected their wounded and headed home.

But Velmayka knew they would be meeting again soon. Once he regrouped and rebuilt his strength, he would be launching a war against the Ashina that would rob Khan Mänäs of Azovi of the bulk of his holdings in Qazan and Bolghar and mark the rise of a new Empire in north.

 

[Dunaden]

1014- 1018 The Reach for Empire

King Velmayka had hoped to move against the Ashina immediately, but his direct levys were at half strength, so it was necessary to let them recover before pressing the claims High Chief Nyalku had managed to create for the Qazan and Bolghar territories.

It would take a year or more to get the levys close to full strength.

During that time Velmayka watched his younger children grow closer to adulthood, taking more specialized educations, and watched his oldest son, Kezhedey, come of age. Kezhedey had grown into a brilliant strategist, diligent, charitable and zealous, though a bit crude and foulmouthed. He had strong religious sentiments, a true believer of the reformed religion, but kind not cruel. But Velmayka’s joy at seeing his family grow was not complete. His eldest daughter, Chechama, caught pneumonia, and despite the court healers’s best efforts, she passed away at the age of 25 never having children and leaving Pentti a widower.

Velmayka had come to depend on Chechama. She had acted as regent during his periods of meditation and prayer, and had acted as hostess in Yaroslavl due to the absence of a Queen of Merya, running the royal household. His other adult daughters were married and with their husbands, and Valdava, his last daughter, was 14, but she was a simple sweet child who would be ineffective in replacing Chechama. His son, Kezhedey, would shoulder the responsibility as designated regent as training for his role as heir to the Kingdom. Velmayka would need to find someone else to take over managing the household, as he was not interested in taking a third wife.

Another significant death was that of the Tietaja Asrava, the head of the Sacred Woods, the first leader of the reformed faith. One of her last acts was to send missionaries east to Pil'va to convert the heretics there and the efforts had had some signs of success. But then Tietaja Asrava had died after a disagreement with a meal. A young Finnish woman, Hertta, was named the new Tietaja.

This was not the only blow to the reformed faith. High Chief Dergun of Tver had launched a Holy War to claim Smolensk a couple years earlier, and the war had not been going well. But early in 1014, his father, Syrka, the last surviving child of King Syrka, had been killed by a Lithuanian Shaman named Sviergaila of Slonim and Dergun had inherited the High Chiefdom of Minsk. With his new strength from his inheritance, Dergun saw a chance to finally win his war and marched out with a new army. A week later he was dead, killed in battle by Chief Sartäç 'the Frog' of Chuvash. His 16-year old son Viryay became the new High Chief of both Tver and Minsk, but he had no will to continue the Holy War, and soon forced to surrender. Not long after, Velmayka’s half-brother, High Chief Paksyut of Polotsk, white peaced out of his own Holy War for Kiev. The reformed faith had failed to lead its new converts to victory. But despite these failures, the moral authority of reformed Suomenusko faith is still high (77%), helped by the construction of a new temple at Ostashkov in Torzhok.

Another growing issue in this time was High Chief Buðli Falk of Iceland, Velmayka’s westernmost vassal, at least in name. While the High Chief of Iceland was nominally a vassal, he gave nothing more than lip service to his obligations. He had never supported any of Velmayka’s wars, but to be fair, he and his men were so far from the rest of the Kingdom, any pledge of service would be all but useless due to the distance his men would have had to travel. Buðli just ran his fiefdom as almost an independent Kingdom, making war and expanding his territory in the western isles. He used the umbrella of the Kingdom of Merya to discourage wars against him, and then came out of those shadows to seize more land for himself.

Buðli of Iceland aggressive expansion included not only inheriting Gunbrandsdalen, high in the mountains of Scandinavia, from his vassal, Haukr, who had died of Camp Fever, but his involvement in three wars. Buðli had just completed his conquest for Ynysoedd Orc (Orkney) against Queen Denis of Alban, but he had immediately launched a war against Chief Drosten of Insee Cait, a 6-year old Pict chieftain. And then Buðli had become involved in a third war to revoke Vestisland from Guðrun of Vestisland, another of his vassals.

Velmayka wouldn’t have minded all this, and actually admired Buðli, but while Buðli clung to his Norse customs, which wasn’t that much of an issue, he also remained a follower of the Odin and the other Germanic Gods, which was. Velmayka had spent his rule promoting and finally reforming the Suomenusko religion, and one of his most powerful vassals defied him and refused to convert. Buðli’s predecessor had actually been a follower of the Old Suomenusko gods, but Buðli had taken Iceland back into Odin’s embrace. And now he was one of the most powerful supporters of Odin left in the world.

But as much as Buðli bothered him, now was not the time to deal with him. Velmayka was focused on the east, not the west, and focused on bringing his Empire to reality. Plus, with Buðli still occupied with two of his own wars, he would not be be challenging Velmayka anytime soon.

A rare event took place in the fall of 1014. King Velmayka had traveled to the main Lodge of the Followers of Otso, there he met with King Reko of Suomi, who was a Veteran in the Order. After some diplomatic discussions about their shared border, the two began drinking together. Eventually, late in the drunken evening, King Velmayka challenged King Reko to a Flyting, and Velmayka accepted. In the years to come, just about every member of the Followers of Otso would claim to have been witnesss to the “Flyting of Kings” and the story would grow with every telling, but in truth it was only a dozen or so drunken Veterans and Warriors and a few lucky Fledglings that witnessed the Flyting between King Reko of Suomi and King Velmayka 'the Bold'. The many of insults and attacks thrown back and forth were only funny due to the level of inebriation of the two contestants and the watching audience as the duel of words continued with Velmayka insulting Reko's accomplishments and Reko turning around and attacking Velmayka's virility. In the end, Reko's shrewd jabs stung once too often and Velmayka was the first to lose his cool and forced to concede victory to King Reko. Not even another round of drinking that lasted through dawn completely soothed the ill feelings as Reko continued with insults long after the contest was over.

Soon after that event, a peasant revolt arose in Kudymkar. Shypicha, a Komi warrior was leading the peasant revolt demanding independence. Rebels won their first victory when they overwhelmed the local warriors in Kudymkar.

Velmayka was still waiting for his levys to replenish and didn’t want to waste they recovery by sending them marching so far east. He also didn’t want to send Merry Men, who were also recovering and recruiting new warriors. So initially, he ignored the revolt.

Then Velmayka forgot about it, as he was struck down by a severe malady. It started with painful cramps that left him doubled over in pain. The court healer, Chief Viryas of Smolensk, suspected form the first that it may be food poisoning. He first had Velmayka stand in a warm bucket of water, but that had little effect and didn’t seem to help.

Velmayka soon developed a fever. This time, Viryas wrapped the King in wet linen strips to cool his fever, this was much more effective and Velmayka felt a little better. Then the vomiting started. This was enough to convince Viryas that his original diagnosis was correct, the King had indeed been poisoned. Whether the food poisoning was accidental or intentional was not known. Viryas prescribed a draught of fresh urine from a pregnant sow. Despite Velmayka’s disgust, he choked the liquid down and actually felt better. But while the treatment relieved his symptoms to some extent, the poison still coursed through his body and left him weak and disoriented for over a year. This delayed his plans for moving against the Ashina as stress and the poison wore away Velmayka usual diligence and work ethic.

During the King’s confinement, a second revolt had sprung up. This one was much more dangerous than the peasant revolt which had captured the villages of Kudymkar and Kirs in the far east of the Kingdom. The new revolt was led by an Estonian warrior named Koit, a follower of Old Suomenusko, who was challenging the reformed religion. The revolt had symbolically started on the holy island of Saaremaa in the west. While several hundred peasants had joined Shypicha’s revolt for independence in the east, thousands of warriors were flocking to Koit’s side in the west. Again, Velmayka did nothing, the poison eating at his body distracting him from the danger.

It wasn’t until the fall of Läänemaa to heretics in west and Velmayka’s full recovery in the spring of 2016 was he ready to act. He called his vassals to war to deal with both rebellions, five refuse to aid him, Buðli, as usual, and a few others. The vassal levys are raised throughout Merya, but Velmayka holds off raising his own direct vassals, saving them for the coming conflict he has planned against the Ashina.

The vassals levys split their strength, attacking the rebels nearest to them. The High Chiefs in the east converge on the small number of peasants in the east and make short work of them. By the fall of 2016, the peasant revolt in the east is over and the leader, Shypicha, is sent to Yaroslavl in chains.

The heretics in the west are a different matter. The Tietaja’s missionaries had eventually converted Pil’va to the new faith, but there were still a large percentage of the population throughout Merya who still followed the old faith. As the vassal levys closed in on heretics near Läänemaa, there was another large heretic uprising in Pronsk. The vassal army, led by young High Chief Inzhay of Veps, scattered the original heretic army and moved to east to go after the new army at Pronsk. But no sooner had they left the Estonian coast, a new army of heretics arose behind them in Läänemaa, further expanding the religious revolt.

Velmayka decided it was time for him to take direct action, but he didn’t want to continue to be distracted from his main goal, so even though the heretic rebellion was not resolved, he declared war on Khagan Bugha 'the Frog' of Ashina to press all his claims in the lands of Qazan and Bolghar. Ashina had failed to take Vasyugan due to Merya’s intervention, but they had subsequently subjugated its neighbor Om, extending Ashina east. Velmayka had hoped to attack while Bugha had been fighting his war for Om, but his poisoning had delayed his plans, leaving Bugha free win that war and now concentrate on defending against the Meryans and calling his vassals and allies to war.

Velmayka once more called his own vassals to join him in this war as well. All but four accept. Then Velmayka raised his personal levys, some 9,000 warriors, and called the Merry Men to war. He also looked to the Sons of Kaleva, but they were already fighting in a war for the High Chief of Savonia.

Before he left Yaroslavl, Velmayka first secluded himself for two weeks of prayer and meditation, leaving his son Kezhedey as regent. When he returned from his meditations, Velmayka made a sacrifice to the gods, offering up a prize ram. His path has now become clear and his stress fades. He will follow the dream of Empire and leave his vassals to deal with the bulk of the heretics, and take his army east to Ashina. Kezhedey will remain in charge in Yaroslavl and is named the guardian of his younger brother Kichay, who is just beginning his diplomatic education.

King Velmayka first drove south with the Merry Men and his levys from Yaroslavl and Uglich to deal with the heretics in Pronsk, leaving the larger contingent of heretics in Läänemaa to his vassals. He caught the one band of heretics outside Mozhaysk and defeated them. Then he turned his army east and marched for Qazan. His eastern levys were already converging on the disputed territory.

His eastern levys will soon fight the first battle of the war, a skirmish in Alabuga which is quickly won. The eastern levys quickly construct a fortified strong point to hold Alabuga and soon construct another to hold Syrt. Then they wait for King Velmayka and the vassal levys to join them.

As Velmayka continues east, runners kept him informed of the situation to the west. Livs has fallen to the heretics, followed closely by Läänemaa itself. This is followed by further ill news as the rebel heretics continue to make gains, taking Hiiumaa, next. Early in 1017, word comes of more heretics rallying in Saaremaa. The news is looking bleak and Velmayka is wondering if he has made a mistake.

But then a month later a last message arrives from the west. The western vassals under High Chief Inzhay of Veps met the heretics at Läänemaa. The heretics had drawn the army there and committed all their strength against them, greatly outnumbering the Meryan levys. But Velmayka's faith is rewarded as the heretics are broken at Läänemaa. The High Chief Inzhay of Veps had delivered victory. The leader of the revolt, Koit, is sent to Yaroslavl in chains, and the greatest challenge so far to the reformed religion has been defeated.

With the west secured, Velmayka is free to focus on the war against the Ashina. The Meryans see little resistance as the push east, securing control of most of the Qazan and Bolghar territories. Once most of the target territory is under Meryan control, Velmayka and his vassals push further south into Ashina territory.

In the autumn of 2017, the village of Ryn is captured, the main encampment for the one of Ashina’s vassal clans, the Çat'n. Ten prisoners taken from the Çat'n,six prove worthy of a ransom, so arrangements are made as the main Meryan army marches deeper into Ashina territory. The first ransoms are paid just as the Meryans arrive at the Emba Steppe, the heart of the Ashina, the seat of the ruling Busirid Clan.

The Emba Steppe is quickly overrun and a few prisoners are taken including the Khagan's younger son, Bagha Busirid, his heir, Yerneslu Busirid, and the Khagan’s only grandson and namesake, Bugha Busirid. There still has been no sign of the main Ashina horde and no significant battles. But the Ashina resolve is weakening.

While Velmayka pauses after the capture of the Busirid Clan, he receives a message from the west, from King Virdyan II 'the Cruel' of Estonia and Queen Pemka 'the Spider', Velmayka's sister. Estonia has launched a Holy War against Queen Judyta of Sweden to claim Pomeralia and has called in Velmayka as his ally and Suzerain to aid him. Velmayka sends back word he will join his brother-in-law in his war, as soon as his business in the east is finished.

While deciding his next move, Velmayka learns that Khan Yerneslu of the Täbärid, one of the vassal clans of Ashina, has died and his 12-year old son, Böri, is the new Khan and has renewed the Täbärid pledge to fight against Merya. Fate has decided Velmayka’s next target, and the Meryan army marches northeast to Ust-Turgay, the Täbärid’s home.

Ust-Turgay is captured along with prisoners and a magnificent Khazar Bow, the bow of the Khan of the Täbärid, is seized as a prize, taken from the boy Khan’s hands. The fall of Ust-Turgay is the last piece, Khagan Bugha is ready to surrender, Velmayka sends messengers to enforce his demands.

Khagan Bugha surrenders the High Chiefdoms of Qazan and Bolghar and the lands of Ashli, Syrt, Bolghar, Bilyar, Qazan, Khlynov, and Vetluga to King Velmayka. But Velmayka notices he has not included to territories that fall within the High Chiefdom of Qaza, Kremenchu and Alabuga. The Khagan apologizes but says he doesn’t control that territory currently as Khan Bori had just revolted against him in anger over his failure to protect Ust-Turgay and his plan to surrender lands of the Täbärid.

Velmayka is furious and ready to continue the war, but his advisors say his people want to return home, and he has obligations to Estonia in the East. They hadn’t grasped the implications that Velmayka had already seen, without Kremenchu and Alabuga, Velmayka can not form his Empire. Against his will, Velmayka is forced to accept the Khagan’s terms.

But he is already planning to return and claim the rest of Qazan. Khan Böri of the Täbärid has blocked Velmayka 's dream of an Empire in revenge for sacking his home and stealing his father’s bow, but Velmayka made plans to declare war to sieze the pieces of Qazan he had been cheated out of. His people were reluctant to join him, waiting for him to first distribute the land and titles he had just claimed. Velmayka was ready to fight the war on his own, but that war would end before it could begin as the Ashina revolt ends almost immediately, and the Täbärid rejoin the Ashina under the protection of the truce that had just been made with Khagan Bugha, leaving the dream of the Empire still out of reach.