Since some horrible fate begotten my save file on this, I've decide to provide you with a short summary of the story, while I still have my notes. So behold, the terrible story of House Rurikovich:
Prince Daniil married Helene of Passau, or Elena the Swordbringer, as Russians called her. This marriage was deeply unhappy. Prince spent his time in wars, reclaiming Volkovysk from Lithuanians and conquering Lublin from Poles, the very city his father died trying to take. His wife, alone in a foreign country, developed agoraphobia, confined herself in the tower and succumbed to depression, shortly after the birth of her son, christened Roman, in Rurikovich tradition of naming children after their late ancestors, never live ones.
Daniil inherited Pricipality of Novgorod-Seversky and claim for the Grand Principality of Kiev. He remarried, this time to Wulfhilde von Gogenshtaufen, daughter of the Emperor Frederic II. Surprisingly, they fell in love. For the first time in his life, Daniil saw that there may be something more to the world then wars, intrigue and vengeance. In the war of Kievan succesion of 1240 he was wounded, but decided to ride with his army in the next battle. Near Kanev he was wounded the second time, this time entering into a coma, and died in the age of 39 years. His son Roman succeeded him.
Alexander Rurikovich died shortly after his return from Moldova, leaving the Principality of Berestye to his son, Vsevolod, who later became a Marshal. Chizday married and had a a son, named Gedalia. He continued to serve Prince Roman as a chancellor.
The son of Roman and his beloved wife, Philippa D'Auvergne, Daniil II, stood third in line of succession in the Occitan duchy of Auvergne, and after few accidents, orchestrated by Chisday, inherited it. He left for Auvergne, and being Theological Mastermind, gregarious and genius, converted the Occitan nobility into Orthodoxy.
Roman increased the size of Galich-Volyn', conquering Kiev and Moldova. By this time, Bizanthine emperor in Nikea converted to Catholicism, and with Ecumenical Patriarch living as a novelty in the court of Ilkhan, the authority of Orthodoxy plunged down. Rus descended in an endless series of heretical uprisings.
During one of this riots Philippa D'Auvergne was killed. This changed Roman. He avowed vengeance to all enemies of Christ and turned diverse and tolerant principality into a fundamentalist nightmare. The heretics were impaled or burned alive, the Catholics in Lublin in Moldova forced to convert or exiled, Baltic pagans were hunted like animals. Jews were exiled, Chizday and his family fled to Auvergne. Hearing about the madness begotten his father, Daniil started to plan a military expedition to confine Roman and return Galich-Volyn' to normalcy. He sent Gedalia, Chizday's son, to the Port of Constanța on Black Sea, to rally support and prepare the landing.
That was the time Mongols finally arrived. Weakened by constant religious war and with a madman at the helm, there was nothing Galich-Volyn' could do, its lands and cities fallen, its regiments chopped by Mongol swords. Ilkhan met with Roman, and saw before him broken man, mad and universally hated. He let Roman go. Roman arrived in Constanța, where he was recognized by Gedalia. In a retribution for banishment of Jews Gedalia kills Roman and returns to Auvergne.
After a 3 days and nights of fasting and praying in the now Orthodox Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port in Clermont-Ferrand, the capital of Auvergne, Daniil emerges and addresses the crowd of Occitan knights and burgers, gathered before him:
"Hear me, brothers and
druzhina, sew the red cross and black jackdaw to your cloaks, for I am going to reclaim what is mine. For there shall be no Khan in Galich, but only Prince."
The snow begins to fall.
Glory to the Prince and druzhina. Amen.
