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Greenskyguy and Troelsdc - Thank ya'll and thanks for stopping by!

Sorry this update took a little longer than usual, but as you can probably tell, it was probably the hardest update for me to write so far.
 
Now this has a great storyline! I look forward to see how you handle the steppes without Cumania.
 
Chapter 6 – Hegemon​


The Emba Battlefields

For a moment before the two armies smashed together, an unearthly silence fell over the battlefield. Thousands of men and horses stared at each other, and for a brief moment it seemed as if both sides might melt away without a quarrel.

It would not last; for just as soon as the silence began to feel interminable, the sun peeked across the horizon in full force filling the battlefield with an unholy glare.

It appeared as if the Gods had decided to watch this epic play.

And then entire world exploded. Men bellowed, horses screamed, and the screech of metal slamming against metal filled all the world. It was a symphony of cacophony and it only grew only louder and louder as if a mad composer was urging them on towards a nonexistent conclusion.

For days, the noise filled Moses to the brim, and though he remained at the rear of his forces, he ordered a continuous attack. They charged again and again and again. Each time the Cumans held but took massive losses.

Then after days of carnage, the Cuman center could take no more. Moses, with all the wisdom and strategy of a hammer, ordered yet another charge and it was on this occasion that it finally worked. The Cumans center cracked, then splintered, then dissolved away completely and the day was won.

The noise quieted until only the moans and prayers of the soon to be dead remained. The Gods had left long ago and only Death now remained.




After the battle of the Cumans were scattered to the wind and their homeland had been ravaged and pillaged.

They surrendered and accepted Moses' terms. Half of their territory was given over to Khazaria, and they were forced to acknowledge the Khazars right to tax and control all trade in the region.

As the broken Khan Sokal knelt before the Khazar Khagan, one singular term echoed through his mind repeatedly.

Hegemon

Khazaria reigned supreme.


 
Now this has a great storyline! I look forward to see how you handle the steppes without Cumania.

Yeah me too. The Cuman challenge was resolved relatively easily and has left Khazaria as the largest remaining power in the region short of the ERE if they decide to get interested.
 
Oh one more thing.

I've decided to up the pace of the narration with the next couple updates.

Now that Khazaria has emerged as a major power, the wars come a bit more frequently and against smaller nations. Its a tad bit boring but it picks up once they run afoul of some of their larger neighbors
 
Chapter 7 - Moving Right Along

After the victory in Cumania, the Khazars wasted no time taking advantage of their position as foremost power in the steppes.

Their target would be the Hashmid Satrapy, a small sunni nation that existed in the Abbasid Caliphate's orbit. However, the Abbasids were distracted wrapping up a civil war, so Khan Moses wasted no time in jumping upon this opportunity.



Unbeknownst to me at the time, Georgia was already at war with the Hashmids as well.


Upon arriving in Derbent unopposed, Khan Moses found there was a message waiting for him. His wife Belet had conceived following their tryst as his army passed through Itil and toward the new front.




This was good news. A son would secure the family succession and a daughter could be married off to strengthen ties to his vassals.

Moses was for the first time happy in the field. He would have another son, the Abbasids showed no sign of interfering, and his forces were slowly wearing down the Hashmid holdings.

A pleasant nine months later, Moses' second son Karadakh was born.



I'll have to deal with gavelkind...


Seeing the end of the war on the horizon, Sultan Hashim struck a deal with the Georgians. He turned over his castle in Derbent to the small force of Georgians that was in the area with the understanding that it would be returned to him at the cessation of hostilities.

The Georgians had become worried at the prospect of a united and powerful Khazazria interfering in the Caucasus. From this point on, they would make it their mission to oppose Moses using every dirty trick they knew.

Moses was furious about this backroom deal and swore vengeance against both parties for denying him his rightful reward. However, he narrowly decided against marching on Georgia when he received a bit of news.



The Magyars had completed their war with Bulgaria and settled in the Carpathian basin. This had caused their former homeland to shatter into numerous small tribes. If Moses struck quickly, the Khazars could push even further west and scoop up the lion's share of the old Magyar lands.



Current Plan = Push West

A month later, the last of the Hashmid holdings fell and they surrendered to Moses. (Except for Karamukh which the Georgians held and returned to the Hashmids)

Moses now had nothing standing between him and the old Magyar lands...



Done Deal!
 
Doing a good job with Khazaria thus far. Pushing west probably would be a good idea too. Smaller lands to conquer, and possible refuge for when the Seljuks appear.
 
iisbroke - Yes! You shall tremble before their might! Well except on Sabbath.....

tnick0225 - You know, in just about every game I've played so far, the Seljuks sort of just get bottled up in Eastern Persia and never really make the mark they do historically. So I kinda went back and forth on how much I should plan around their appearance. Eventually, I decided to act as if I had no idea they were out there. Its probably a bit more accurate plus I figured it would make for a more exciting game.

Anyhow, I've got the next update written, but I need to get home in order to post it. Look for it in a few hours.
 
Chapter 8 - Betrayal, Rebellion, and Crimea


Date - November 871 - October 872


Immediately following the conclusion of the First Hashmid War, Moses wheeled his horsemen west and began to march toward the former Magyar provinces. However, he also had a bit of unfinished business to attend along the journey.

A few days before the Hashmid surrender, Moses had received some frightful correspondence from his spymaster Cat. It turned out that the traitorous and immoral Duke Zachariah of Azov had resumed plotting against his sacred reign. Except this time if he had his way, Zachariah would kill Moses and use the resulting chaos as an opportunity to declare Azov's independence.




Unfortunately for Zachariah, that war had ended, the Khazar horde marched on his capital, and Moses captured him before he had a chance to put up any resistance.

Indeed, Zachariah was full of regrets as he was brought before the Khagan. He first cried out for mercy, and then upon viewing the Moses' stony visage, begged that his unborn child be allowed to inherit his lands. He received no such promises and died as coward whimpering as his head was placed on the chopping block.




Moses took control of Zachariah's former possessions, and immediately split them in half by creating an independent duchy of Cherson. The Dukes of Azov had grown too proud and too powerful; with this move, it was hoped that they would think twice before defying the Khagan.




Moses named two loyal soldiers as the new Dukes, and continued to the border.

He would arrive two weeks later. His plan was simple; since these lands were poor and fragmented, his horsemen would storm into each province and force each local chief to submit to Khazar rule as quickly as possible. If they moved fast enough, the Khazars would take control before any significant resistance arose from both the locals and any neighboring powers.

Lower Don was the first target.




They never stood a chance, and Lower Don surrendered a few months later.




Next up, Lukomorie.




At first, everything went swimmingly for Moses. What little resistance the locals managed to put up was swept away, and he quickly began to siege the Chief's castle (More of log cabin surrounded by a wooden palisade).

But then Moses received news from home.



The revolt arose in Sarpa. Apparently, the locals weren't too happy with my old marshal Bulan.


Khazar progress in Crimea was now in serious jeopardy.
 
This is a great AAR, I've always been to lazy to start a serious Jewish game, but now I think I have to. Also forgive the shameless advertising, but perhaps you wish to make your titles more interesting with Jewish Localisation? Easily available in my signature.
 
This is a great AAR, I've always been to lazy to start a serious Jewish game, but now I think I have to. Also forgive the shameless advertising, but perhaps you wish to make your titles more interesting with Jewish Localisation? Easily available in my signature.

Sounds pretty cool and I'll have to check it out. My gameplay has is now much, much farther than where I am with story, but I adore the Jewish religion and I'll definitely try it.

Also, I apologize for my recent absence from posting. Between spring break, graduate level exams, march madness, and keeping the girlfriend happy, its been a crazy and amazing few weeks. However, that doesn't do much for me updating the AAR regularly.

Fortunately, I was able to sneak in some playing during my adventures, so I've now moved a couple hundred years beyond our current date in the story and this has definitely become one of my most favorite games thus far. With any luck, I'll be able to post a couple updates this weekend in between attending a wedding in which I managed to get roped into being a groomsmen.
 
Chapter 9 - The Blood of Innocence


Date: October 872 - March 873

Moses once again faced a dilemma.

And this time he did not quail before it.

As soon as word of the Tengri revolt reached his ears, he dispatched his Pecheneg mercenaries to combine with his marshal's freshly raised levies in the heartland of Khazaria. There, they would stamp out the flames of the rebellion before it had a chance to truly catch fire and spread.

This would slow Moses' progress in Crimea, but he saw with clear eyes Adonai's message. Caution.

He would not tempt the Lord.



Soon afterwards, the rebels under Barsbek caught a Khazar levy out of position and annihilated them, but the Khan remained resolute. Lukomorie would fall.

And two months later, the wooden gates of Lukomorie's capital, Zaporhzye, opened to welcome their new overlords.



Lukomorie had fallen and not a moment too soon.

For in the west, Azov, the old capital of the traitorous Duke Zachariah had been taken by the wild shaman, Barsbek.

It was said that blood flowed like rivers down the streets, and nary a virgin remained following the pillaging of the brutal pagans. Screams could be heard from as far as Jerusalem herself as the innocents cried out for mercy.

Yet in his terrible bloodlust, Barsbek the unholy had made a mistake. By moving west and sieging Azov, he had trapped himself between Moses' army in the west and the Pecheneg army in the East.

Moses set out for vengeance, and by March 873 it was over.



After the battle, a dirty, blood soaked man was thrown in front of Khan Moses. More skeleton than man now, Barsbek had been on the run for months.

"Barsbek, you were in the desert and your false god could not feed you" said Moses with a weary soul as he turned to signal his executioner. And stopped.

A queer thought had occurred to him. Images of that day in the snow covered glade raced through his mind.

"Tie him to a horse and take him with us. He will not die today nor for a very long time. I have something far better in mind."

A horrible, wide grin spread across his face. He had a wedding to prepare.



Can anyone tell me what happened here? I'm very proud of it.
 
Basically, what happened at the end of my last update was that I force converted Barsbek after the rebellions was crushed.

Usually, whenever I crush a peasant revolt, I'll just let the former leader rot in my dungeons for a while before finally putting him death if I'm feeling bored. This time, for whatever reason, I noticed that there was a demand religious conversion button as an option for my prisoners and what do you know? Barsbek converted and was set free.

So seeing as he was a good jewish boy now, it was only fitting that he marry one of the many eligible young ladies that spend their time bemoaning the lack of men present at my court. Oh and they should have many strong children that can be tutored under Moses' direction.

It fills me with all sorts of perverse pleasure to see this angry, almost elemental shaman forced to accept a new faith, then forced to have a family and live out his days as a broken happy man. And so much the better that its the Jews that are doing it!

Anyways, I just got back from my wedding yesterday and I am working on the next update. It's rather long and should go up tomorrow.
 
Chapter 10 - Sparks

Date: March 873 - July 874

With the Khazarian steppes once again at peace and firmly under his control, Moses once again reluctantly prepared to return west to the wild lands of Crimea.

On the day he was to leave, his last order of business was to determine how to deal with a complaining prisoner.

Yeldem was the wife of the former chief of Lukomorie, and she had taken to harassing the gaolers. Upon further investigation, it seemed her former husband was glad to be rid of her constant noise and nagging, and assumed the darkest cell of Itil's dungeons was the best place for her. Feeling the slightest twang of sympathy, Moses had her placed in better accommodations. Perhaps one day her unfaithful spouse could join her there.




By May 9th, Moses had reached the western border and the assembled hordes of Khazars and their Pecheneg mercenaries stormed into the chiefdom of Lower Don.




The fierce horsemen quickly took control of the countryside and routed the Lower Don's fighting force.




During the siege, the Khan decided it was time to finally learn to ride like a proper Khazar warrior. Every morning he awoke at sun rise and met his master of horse at the stables. They spent entire days riding through the pillaged country.

Moses (who had always had a healthy distrust for horses) came to truly enjoy these outings; and while he never become more than a competent rider, Moses came to feel closest to Adonai and his ancestors while riding at breakneck speed in front of his men.




Then, after two successful sieges, Lower Don would surrender to the Khan on Jan. 2nd 874.




The victory celebrations were further enhanced when Moses chose this time to announce that his son and heir, Nisi, had been betrothed to the Countess of Sarpa, Sirma.

Sirma was the only daughter of Moses' former Marshal, Bulan who had recently died maimed and alone after failing to keep Zachariah the traitor in line. With luck, Sirma would come of age and bear Nisi a child who would return ownership of Sarpa to the family of the Khans.




Once the feasting was complete, Moses set out again in search of further conquest. Oleshye was to be the next target.




Oleshye put up little in the way of resistance, but of greater concern to the Khan was the growing coalition of Slavic chiefs that pledged support and men to the Oleshye cause.

The chiefs were weak and fragmented, but if they managed to combine their voices and sway Bulgaria or Konugardr to join their cause then Khazaria could be in trouble. Both nations had a larger population base and could field larger armies than the Khazars, and were beginning to move into former Magyar territories as well.




While desperately chasing a small band of Slavic warriors across Crimea, a messenger reached Moses' bearing two articles of bad news. The first was that the former rebel Barsbek had passed away without leaving any children behind.

Of further concern was the safety of his son's betrothed. Word had reached Moses' ears that the new Duke of Azov, Kisa, planned to have little Sirma disposed of before Sarpa slipped from his grasp.

The Khan was infuriated and sent a minstrel to Kisa's court. Once there, the minstrel played a popular song that ominously detailed the fate of the last Duke of Azov that had crossed Moses, The Heirs of Azov. Kisa immediately relented and promised to personally ensure Sirma's safety.



July 10th, 874, Oleshye fell as well. It could only be a matter of time before Khazarian conquests provided the spark to set off a much larger war.


 
Alright! I've just finished a massive test, and had a couple beers with some friends, so that means its time to update!

Also, I want to do a role call for whomever is still following this AAR. If you're still here, please let me know.

I was talking over an interesting idea for an AAR with a good friend of mine, and we may starting another AAR as soon as next week. Before we do that, however, I would like to know how many people are currently following this story.

So if you're not too shy of lurker, then please just give me a quick shout out.
 
Chapter 11 - Boris​


Date: July 874 - September 878



Boris I, The First Christian King of Bulgaria

--Excerpt from "The Throne of David: A Complete History of House Bulan"

On the surface, the subjugation of Oleshye was a very minor event. It was just one more poor county added to the growing Khazar kingdom, virtually indistinguishable from its neighbors on the Crimean plains.

Indeed, Oleshye held very little importance to even Moses himself. Following its conquest, the Khazars would immediately turn and march on their next target, Chortitza.

But when you look at it through the scope of history, Oleshye was essential. A point of no return. An introduction proceeding the true story.

For the first time, Khazaria and Bulgaria now shared a border. The two inheritors of the north shore of the black sea were now forced to look each other in the eye and take a measure of themselves and their goals.

Bulgaria was an aggressive, young power that was ready to expand and thrive. While they had recently been defeated by the Magyars during their migration to the Carpathian basin, the Bulgarians were still a powerful force that had dreams of rivaling the Eastern Roman Empire as the supreme power in the region.

They had a fierce warrior culture and a newly Christian king whom had set his sights on spreading Christendom eastward.

It could only be a matter of time before the two nations met in a battle for the soul of the steppes.

In the meantime, however, the Khazars were consolidating their control of Crimea.

From July 874 to March 877, Khan Moses was leading his army on the western front. Chortitza, Korsun, and Olvia would all fall before he returned to the capital.



Khazaria's New Borders


In 876, while his father was still out on campaign, the Moses' heir, Prince Nisi, came of age and took over the rule of Itil.

Nisi was a kind, diligent soul that was beloved by his subjects. It was said that he lacked any knowledge of base cunning that was required to prosper at court, and instead focused all his efforts on becoming a master scholar and theologian. He lived a simple life of charity, followed Jewish law as best he could, and made it his mission to improve the plight of his subjects as best he could.

It was this innocent purity that made him immensely popular with the common folk, and they listened when he urged them to join him in worshipping the one true G-d. Huge numbers of Tengri worshippers converted to the worship of their young prince, and for the first time, the study of the Torah and Talmud was not longer just the province of the ruling classes.

Additionally, Nisi invested the majority of plunder that his father sent him into improving the towns and castles under his control. Under his guidance, Itil became a proper walled city with amenities that the people of Baghdad or Constantinople would have expected.

Finally, the last thing he did before his father's return was to negotiate a betrothal for his younger brother, Karadakh, to the Duchess Peksen of Sarkel. Both were young, but it was hoped that this marriage would tie Sarkel ever closer to the throne.




When Moses returned home after many long years of conquest, it seemed to all, that Adonai truly had seen fit to bless the Khan. He had been wildly successful abroad while Nisi had proven himself to be a worthy heir.

This planted a seed of terrible pride in Moses' heart. He grew increasingly vain and boastful, and decided to throw a massive feast in honor of Nisi's 17th birthday.

No expense was spared, and the people of Itil celebrated their favorite prince vigorously. Yet a terrible wind blew that night and Nisi fell sick soon afterwards.

Then two weeks later, Nisi succumbed to his illness.




Moses was devastated. He saw Nisi's death as an indictment of himself and locked himself away in the palace.

For over a year, Khazaria was ruled by a ghost. He saw no one and did not leave the palace grounds. Most of his time was spent either praying to or cursing the heavens.

Finally, after that long year, Moses re-emerged haggard and changed, but he had decided to try living again. Yet he could no longer stand to remain in the place where his son had lived and died, so he would focus his grief into conquest.

On June 22nd 878, Moses invaded Pecheneg territory.

Unexpectedly, Cumania immediately decided to ride to their former rival's defense.

And then the even more unexpected occurred.



Boris, King of Bulgaria, declared war as well.

Moses and Khazaria was now beset on all sides.