Wings of Faith, Wings of Fury - A Slavic Pagan Revival AAR

[Bullfilter]

post-travel catch up complete!

Indeed, the Third Great Holy War would be unique in that no field battles would be fought in the targeted kingdom.

As Strasz foresaw, the plague both cleared the way for him - and as we all suspected, also provided for his downfall (or at least laying badly low).

As this happened, Strasz faced a battle for which no amount of strength could aid him.

The plague on all their houses! The Black Death is of course a devastating event. Strasz has tried to use it to his advantage, but the hints are that it backfires, as least in part. Will this one sided war even be won? You’d think so, but at what cost … the plague can chew through a dynasty pretty badly.

 

[Superstorm]

post-travel catch up complete!

As Strasz foresaw, the plague both cleared the way for him - and as we all suspected, also provided for his downfall (or at least laying badly low).

The plague on all their houses! The Black Death is of course a devastating event. Strasz has tried to use it to his advantage, but the hints are that it backfires, as least in part. Will this one sided war even be won? You’d think so, but at what cost … the plague can chew through a dynasty pretty badly.

Thanks for reading and good to see you again Bullfiter!

The plague is horrific in gameplay terms, it can lower supply limit to as low as 1.0k which means the attrition is horrible and any kind of campaigning almost impossible - unless you have enough manpower to quickly siege assault things. It's actually more economical to do assaults - better to have the men die taking the counties rather than melting to attrition.

There is a reason why little warfare was done during the plague.

I did enjoy writing the little bits of detail. Being from the UK I have my own bias but I hope I never waffle or drag things out. I wanted to make this a tad more interesting and mix a little bit of heroism (on the abbot's side anyway) in. Strasz is an angry and hawkish man, so I try to get that across.

 

[blitzthedragon]

Coming back to this after a few months away. Just as gripping as always. Wild that England became a target of a Holy War in the middle of the Plague, but you do a great job of making it sound believable.

 

[Superstorm]

Coming back to this after a few months away. Just as gripping as always. Wild that England became a target of a Holy War in the middle of the Plague, but you do a great job of making it sound believable.

Thank you very much! Good to see you back and still enjoying the saga this has turned into.

And as an update, we'll have the second part of the war wrapped up this Sunday. It'll probably be a touch shorter because of some personal stuff going on but on-time nonetheless.

The next update I am aiming to be the effects of the Black Death as a whole, but will see if IRL stuff clears up a bit.

 

[Superstorm]

Szaman-Cesarz Strasz of the Gryfita Empire - The Conqueror (1350-1351)
​

"There will be no formal corrination. Stand in the ashes of a thousand diseased corpses and ask their spirits if meeting their king matters." - King Jaroslaw of England, admonishing a servant sometime in 1352.

Strasz is said to have shown symptoms of the Black Death on 20 June 1350. The actual date is probably earlier, for as his men prepared to break through London's defences, Strasz was absent from the front lines, even as the men began to succumb to the plague. His affliction was only discovered when Jaroslaw demanded to be allowed to see his emperor, who invited him in despite the fact that he had ordered the tent guards to refuse entry to anyone. Such an action alludes to the close bond the two seemed to share.

Black 'growths' (buboes) around the groin and under the armpits, 'the heat of Dazhbog radiating from his body' (a high fever) and the 'foul smell of expulsion' (vomiting). Strasz had probably been suffering in silence for some time, and it was only at Jaroslaw's insistence that a doctor was summoned to his liege.

What happens next is a prime example of how primitive medieval 'medicine' could be, with treatments that would be laughable from a modern point of view, were it not set against the backdrop of a global pandemic killing millions. In such an environment, the desperate would turn to the 'wisdom' of folk treatments, and those who would now be defined as quacks, but one can never underestimate the lengths to which desperate people go in times of crisis.

Strasz had brought his doctor, a former commander called Zybesko, with him on the campaign. It is doubtful that he had any training at all, and he was probably put in this position as a political pay-off. His choice of treatment strongly suggests this.
He ordered bees to be collected from the surrounding area and brought to him. This done, Zybesko ordered the area around the tent cleared, with the exception of the bedridden Strasz. Jarslow fortunately gives us an account of what happened, if only to provide evidence of the absurd scene:

"It was on the 27th day when the physician threw the jar of bees into the tent as if it were a spear, and withdrew with all haste. The sound of breaking glass was followed by the painful cries of His Majesty as the furious beasts stung him".

At the risk of insulting your intelligence, bee stings are not an effective treatment for bubonic plague.

Many have tried in vain to find some kind of sympathetic or natural medical reason for this treatment. It really does seem like the first idea that came to Zybesko's mind, similar to when Gweinomir was told to run a marathon as a treatment for dysentery.

Shockingly, however, this treatment appeared to have a miraculous effect.

The next day, Strasz showed signs of recovery ( leaving aside the natural maladies of being repeatedly stung by a horde of bees). He regained some of his strength and was soon no longer vomiting. Within a week, the buboes had begun to leave his body and the man was back in the command of the men, albeit in a reduced capacity. How, you may ask? The answer is simple: Strasz had already recovered.

Remember, he had been concealing his suffering from the camp for some time. This time frame is unknown, though it would have been long enough for the plague to have killed him if his body had given in to infection. Plague kills and spreads quickly; if you catch bubonic plague, you will either be dead within a week (without the use of antibiotics) or develop natural immunity to the bacteria that caused it. The mortality rate of untreated bubonic plague is today estimated to be between 40-70%, so even untreated and in unsanitary conditions, survival was possible, albeit slim - a weighted coin toss that Strasz won.

It is strange to think of an alternate reality where Strasz survives the dreaded Black Death only to die from anaphylactic shock due to bee stings; in this case, fiction is stranger than truth.

While this morbidly humorous event was unfolding, a far more grim one was taking place on the mainland of the empire. As mentioned earlier, an invasion force of some 10,000 Englishmen had landed and met no resistance, as Strasz had already taken every combat-capable ship with him to England.

The reason for this counter-invasion is not entirely clear. It is debated whether it was an officially sanctioned attack ordered by King Humphrey, or whether the leader of the expedition, Count Gorbert, was acting on his own. This seems unlikely given the number of men, knights and nobles he landed with, but it is a possibility. One possible tactical reason for this move is the state that the Black Death had reduced England to, making the maintenance of a fighting force untenable.

In 1350, the Gryfita Empire had just begun to suffer from the plague, while the English had been ravaged by it for two years. As Strasz and moreover - his men - learned, supplying an army was next to impossible. It was only the speed of his advance, the lack of resistance in open battle and the sheer luck of landing with men unaffected by the plague that had carried Strasz as far as he had.

Count Gerbert was not so lucky.

Somewhere along the line, the plague had struck his invasion force. Once it had taken hold, the cramped conditions of the ships ensured it spread quickly, with no escape possible as the ships turned into death traps. It is probable that more were involved in the attack than survived the actual voyage, though the true number is lost to history and largely irrelevant given the final result. Gerbet disembarked at mouth of the Vistula, where 15,000 mercenaries awaited him.

We lack the detailed accounts provided by Jaroslaw's writings on the English campaign, and must instead rely on sources written after the end of the Great Holy War. The numbers on both sides would have been roughly equal, although the Slavic mercenaries had the advantage of not ( as yet) being plague-ridden. Slavic sources make little mention of the battle, and later Christian sources portray Gerbert's attack in a heroic manner, noting that he accepted the 'punishment' inflicted by God and sought penance by bringing death to the pagans - omitting details for propaganda purposes.

In a sense, he would indeed bring death, just not by the sword.

There is no record of this invading force returning to England. There is limited mention of the many battles it fought in the following months, all of which would be victories for the mercenary forces. If not killed in battle, Gerbert certainly succumbed to the plague, but not before spreading it to his enemies. Again, sources are scarce, but those who specialise in the period surrounding the Black Death note that there are large-scale outbreaks in the north-east of the Gryfita Empire that do not fit the typical infection patterns of the plague. It is therefore likely that Gerbert's attack infected the mercenaries with the plague, and once they were discharged, they acted as vectors for the devastation that the eastern part of the empire would later suffer.

​

Meanwhile, Strasz continued to besiege the south-east coast of England. While the emperor had made what many believed was a miraculous recovery, the common soldier was denied such a miracle. Jaroslaw notes that from 26 August, deaths from the plague began to be recorded in ever-increasing numbers, along with increasingly draconian methods of containing its spread. Those found to be infected, if not executed on the spot, were confined to whatever shelter could be found and locked inside. As they were in hostile territory, there was limited space for this, and it was the case that when the infected died, their bodies were left inside to rot. As a result, the living infected were often forcibly dragged into ruined houses, piled higher and higher with the dead, and then left until they added to the fetid pile.

Such quarters are said to have earned a macabre nickname among soldiers and nobles alike: 'gniazda porzuconych' - 'nests of the abandoned'.

Jaroslaw writes:

"One did not need to see the red crosses to identify a 'nest'. Instead, the miasma told all what lay inside".

When one reads Jaroslaw's writings, there is a strong sense of sadness or pity. It is rare that we get a glimpse into the personality of a historical figure, and I confess my bias towards the man's character. He did seem to have a genuine sense of compassion for the plight of the common people, something that would serve him well once he became king, and we are given an example of this, albeit in his own words - which must be taken with a pinch of salt:

“His Majesty, as he laid siege to London, saw smoke in the sky. Concerned that this was the signs of an enemy camp and with many of his knights struck by disease, he sent me to investigate with a small following of a dozen riders”

“We followed the smoke and once clear of the trees, I felt my soul weep. An otherwise abandoned village had been turned into a cremation pit. A giant pyre belched smoke, as a man threw corpses into the flames with the same carelessness as if they were dung. Weeping widows, children and others watched from a distance as their loved ones burned to ash. One man spotted us emerging from the woods and soon all eyes were upon us. There was no fear, only hatred, indignation and sadness. I left them to their business and began to question my own in being here.”

​

The sieges of the eastern cities and London continued without any enemy armies challenging Strasz. In January 1351, his condition was reported to have improved drastically. The buboes that had adorned his body had disappeared and his strength had returned, although he still kept his distance from the siege equipment and the common soldier - for good reason.

While his condition improved, the situation for his men became increasingly dire. Resupply and foraging became increasingly difficult, and deaths from both starvation and the plague began to soar. The death that the Black Plague brought was not only to the invaders, but to the invaded as well, forcing Strasz's men to be sent further afield to try and seize food from the English, only to find more scenes of devastation and death, with little to return with worth eating.

This only exacerbated the effects of the plague, as the hungry were less able to resist infection. Reports of suicide abounded, especially among those who were ordered to be locked away once they showed symptoms. They would attack those who came to confine them, knowing they would be killed in self-defence or otherwise executed. For others, Jaroslaw notes that when they saw the buboes appear on their bodies, they simply slit their own throats or asked others to kill them.

There are even reports of cannibalism as food became scarce. Men ate their horses, their dogs, even the very rats that spread the plague, and when towns were taken, both sides fought desperately; the English because they were fighting for their homes or were already dead, and the Polish because it was thought that food was hidden in the town. There is some evidence that Strasz promoted this notion to make his men fight despite being starving and diseased.

Cannibalism and other atrocities were said to have been practised en masse, according to Jaroslaw himself, once the towns had been taken.

Towns in Essex and Suffolk were taken in rapid succession in the early months of 1351, as once the sturdier frontier castles were taken, the fortifications beyond them proved easier to take. On 22 May 1351, after a particularly bitter siege, London fell to Strasz. There would be no more grand act of defiance as with Garin Deschamps, only the kind of desperate last stand that both sides of the conflict had now become accustomed to.

Strasz, along with Jaroslaw and a contingent of men still unaffected by the plague, would push into London itself as the rest of his men began to loot the city and deal with those who still resisted. The latter notes that as they made their way through the city, the red crosses on doors and shops, as well as the dead and dying, were abundant.

The current King Humphrey of England had been sequestered in the Tower of London for much of the outbreak and invasion. Although famous for its use as a prison, the full name was 'His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London' and was another palace from which to rule. The lord's residence would have been the 'White Tower', a keep that was the strongest point of the castle militarily. Without going into too many particulars, rest assured that such a structure would not have been easy to breach had it not been for the plague.

A map of the Tower of London, showing the White Tower in the centre which acted as the king's residence. An aside, due to an oversight that was never addressed, each tower retained its name, even the ones named after Catholic saints. ​

Jaroslaw records that the men sent to take the palace met little resistance and soon discovered where the king was - in St John's Chapel within the White Tower itself.

Strasz and Jaroslaw proceeded to the chapel and found the king praying before the cross at the apsidal end of the chapel. By his side was a young boy in armour bearing the de Toni family emblem. In their haste, no translators had been brought along, making communication impossible, so Strasz resorted to shouting to announce his presence. Humphrey and the boy turned to face the emperor, whose guards drew their weapons to seize the soon-to-be-deposed king, only to pause in dread.

Both man and boy had buboes on their faces.

Strasz's men would have known the fate of those who contracted the plague and would have been reluctant to approach anyone who showed signs of infection. But Strasz demanded that the king be captured, threatening death to anyone who refused. Cowed, the men approached the pair, but they would not reach their goal in time. Jaroslaw is said to have later translated the final words of the last Norman king of England as follows:

"Heathen, may your kinsmen relish your death, as I relish mine."

At a signal, the boy, later revealed to be his son and heir William, stabbed his father in the throat and then charged at the approaching guard. He was hacked to pieces in a panic.

Strasz was furious that he had been denied a royal hostage, only to be calmed by Jaroslaw himself. The emperor is said to have glared at his friend, walked over the wounded William, removed the crown from his father's head and placed it on Jaroslaw, who was stunned into silence. Strasz uttered a single sentence:

'Powstań, królu' - 'Arise, King'.

On 22 May 1351, for the first time since the Norman conquests of 1066, England was conquered by a foreign power, not because of family ties or claims, but for revenge and opportunism. The reason for the conquest was to avenge the death of Strasz's brother at the hands of a de Toni assassin disguised as a nun, and yet no evidence or confession was ever extracted. Indeed, Strasz makes no further mention of any kind of investigation. Whether this was because the guilty party had been justly punished, or because there was no longer a need to justify the invasion, is still debated.

Although Strasz had taken the capital and killed the former king and son, the Norman nobility remained and opposition to Jaroslaw's rule would become a serious challenge for the new king to face. However, he was helped once again by the plague, which made coordination and even communication impossible - it is unlikely that the Norman nobility knew their king was dead, and some may not have even been aware of the invasion at all.

To his credit, King Jaroslaw of England would attempt to resolve matters peacefully with the nobility of the island, though little would come of it and force would be used many times over the coming years. The resistance he faced should have been total, but was muted enough by the plague and general chaos that the Slavic Faith would begin to take root with surprising speed, but that is for later.

The Third Great Holy War had proved a success for Strasz, who found his own position cemented by the conquest, with the potential of great amounts of wealth and manpower to aid future wars.

It had not been without cost.

England was decimated. The once mighty kingdom, which had begun to expand on the continent, was now a veritable graveyard. In truth, Strasz had nothing to do with the plague that swept through England, although he was falsely associated with it in later Christian sources. The infection would have destabilised the kingdom without the emperor's intervention, although it certainly didn't help. Royal authority had evaporated, and Jaroslaw would find it extremely difficult to secure his new dynasty in the wake of the Black Death.

For Strasz, the price had been high and had nearly cost him his life, but it was the soldiers and his realm that would pay the heaviest toll. He had invaded during a terrible plague, and while his haste had won the day, it had left his forces undersupplied and vulnerable to infection. He had landed in England with 30-35,000 men.

When he left a few days after the above scene, he returned with 3,000.

Even taking into account casualties from siege assaults, which always favour the defender, the majority of his losses had come from the plague.

Similarly, Count Gerbert's invasion of the mainland, while a military failure, ensured that by the time he returned, his own realm would be experiencing the full effects of the plague.

To end this somber chapter of my own country and the beginning of a new one under Slavic rule, I quote for the final time from Jaroslaw:

“A crown stained by blood, a land bathed in ash and death. What am I made ruler of? A land of hostile nobles, weeping widows and the dead.”

 

[Chac1]

Wow!
Horrible subject matter but you have tackled it with aplomb.

Jaroslaw writes:

"One did not need to see the red crosses to identify a 'nest'. Instead, the miasma told all what lay inside".

​

That is my favorite part of an extremely strong chapter. The writing is rich and deep. This is absolutely some of the best work in this AAR in the past few months, and that is not to diminish what has come before this one. Well done.

 

[blitzthedragon]

He ordered bees to be collected from the surrounding area and brought to him. This done, Zybesko ordered the area around the tent cleared, with the exception of the bedridden Strasz. Jarslow fortunately gives us an account of what happened, if only to provide evidence of the absurd scene:

"It was on the 27th day when the physician threw the jar of bees into the tent as if it were a spear, and withdrew with all haste. The sound of breaking glass was followed by the painful cries of His Majesty as the furious beasts stung him".

"What's this? My handsome liege stricken by a great pestilence? This jar full of BEEEEEEES will put a stop to that!"

 

[Alivekari123]

Velky Volhv Havel of the Gryfita Empire - The Legend, o Daímonas (1191)​

'None are to speak that accursed name to me. Did God find our faith so lacking, as to send forward such a monster in punishment?' - Baselius Lazaros speaking to a courtier, 1190.

'Quality is not an act, it is a habit.'- Aristotle

Havel had been in Constantinople for a few days and already had a sizable portion of it’s population calling for his head. Whatever the opinion of Lazaros was, an angry mob was not going to be concerned with larger-scale political consequences of revenge.

It is no surprise that this period of hiding is the least documented part of his journey, for having to hide and bribe his way to safety was not exactly glorious. Whatever means he and his party took to ensure their safety remains speculative and a popular place to take ‘artistic licence’ with the tale.

What we can say for certain is that Havel would remain in the city. He could not afford to be in hiding forever if he were to make his name, so would appear once more in records in the middle of March 1191. Public outrage had died down somewhat and not many would wish to contend with twelve armed individuals, let alone Havel himself. His killing of Valerios had been in a duel between lords, so this also helped it seem slightly more acceptable.

Even so, Havel did have to move carefully. He was still being challenged even in hiding by lesser opponents, but made sure these were either in less public or in more secluded areas of the city. It would be during this that a rumour would come to him, that one of the best fighters in the entirety of the Byzantine Empire was within the walls of Constantinople.

It was a siren’s call that Havel’s pride, injured with his flight, could not ignore. That may very well have been the intention, as we will see. He would follow the trail to an inn, where his mark patiently awaited.

He had frequently been told that all he would find was death, that this was a foe that even he could not contend with - which had the expected effect. It was not just his ego driving him though, for he had learned two things which interested him the most: This person was older than even him and - she was a woman.

At the Golden Horn, an inn towards the centre of the city, Havel would find her - Nikarete ‘the Bear’.

Another figure of legend, spoken more in hushed voices and subject to the rumour mill than with Count Valerios. With the gift of historical hindsight, we know far more about her than mere rumours. We do not know of her early life, only that she first caused a stir in her younger years by dressing as a man and subsequently winning numerous tournaments. She had been discovered, but was rewarded rather than punished by the then young Lazaros. She would act as a personal tutor in swordplay for him and his children, despite being of low noble rank. Lazaros would sing the praises of his new tutor, which would invariably attract the attention of others needing such training. In doing so, she amassed a significant amount of wealth, goodwill and powerful friends that quietly overlooked her gender. There were even rumours that Lazerous sought her advice when on military campaign, alongside the expected rumours of her keeping many lovers, him included.

A renowned and locally famous duelist so well-connected being the target of the rumour was no accident as we will see, but Havel had not made that connection, nor would he. He was alone once more, but this time had his blade and armour. He was still rushing ahead alone, but at least there was a modicum of improvement.

When he was pointed to the woman, he recounts his disappointment to see a hunched over elderly woman in a tattered grey cloak. Nonetheless, he challenged her there and then, failing to notice how an inn so deep within the city was empty.

View attachment 806903​

In one instant, the power dynamic changed. Nikarete removed her cloak, revealing that she was as sturdy and athletic as Havel was, dressed in scalemail armour of the highest quality, embossed with gold and gems. In the next, a sword of finest silver was lunged towards his neck.
Even Havel, with his predisposition to bigging himself up in his writings, confesses of his mistake, stating: ‘I had to suppress my urge to scream. It is only the instincts built up over a lifetime that mean I draw breath today’. The blade missed his exposed neck by a hair’s breadth, but Nikarete did not relent.

Fighting in an enclosed space like an inn was not ideal. In the attack, Havel went to draw his blade, only to have it knocked from his hands and lost in the chaos. He recounts to the speed of his foe and that she too, as we know, must have spent a lifetime fighting.

Chief Sedizmir arrived at this time, only for Havel to bark for him to stay back - even in this perilous situation, he would not allow his pride to be wounded further.

What resulted was not so much a duel, as a vicious barfight. It is fortunate that Sedizmir arrived when he did, otherwise we would not know of how Havel had to deflect sword blows with barstools or dodge and duck behind support pillars. In the end, he was able to disarm Nikarete by jamming a splintered piece of a stool through her sword hand. ‘It was no duel, but two bears fighting for dominance’ as Sedizmir writes.

Neither would allow the other to use their blade, which meant it was a brawl to the death. Havel would come out on top, not through skillful swordplay, but by twisting the wood through her hand and then slamming her head repeatedly into the bar. It was a brutal end for a warrior to face, but it was victory. Havel was covered in wounds and cuts, but Nikarete was still. He had slain his first bear.

View attachment 806904​

The news of her death spread like wildfire within the court of the Byzantine Empire. Even Lazaros was said to have wept at ‘a failed plan and a lost friend’ as one court official writes. Nikarete’s appearance had been no mere conclusion to a chased rumour - it was a state-sponsored assasination attempt.

But only an attempt. More were starting to call for Havel’s head, who had vanished quickly to lick his wounds. The next day, he and his retinue returned to the Golden Horn and booked room and board to the shock of everyone. When asked, Havel is to have said ‘should any wish to exact revenge, then in the sight of the Gods, know that my blade stands ready’

The espousement of pagan gods in a holy city caused outrage amongst the priests and Patriarch. By now, the common people, the priesthood and the nobles were demanding action. Lazaros would comply.

On 20 April 1191, two days after Havel’s latest fight to the death, a royal messenger arrived at the Golden Horn. He bore a message with a simple ultimatum - Havel was to partake in a tournament at the Hippodrome in three days time and fight two champions of Lazaros’ choosing, one before the event and one after. In return, he would offer safe passage to the tournament and out of the city if he survived. Otherwise, they would all be arrested.

It was a bluff and Havel knew it. Lazaros could ill-afford a war on two fronts, but he also knew that for all his bravado, passage out of the city was becoming more difficult the more he rallied the populace against him. He accepted, but not without a bit of cheek:

‘Dearest Brother, I do hope your champions contend better than your last offerings’

View attachment 806905​

Maybe Havel had cottoned on to there being more to the numerous duels and opponents he had faced. It is widely believed that ever since the letter he sent to his brother, that Lazaros had him tracked. It would explain why he had faced a Greek scout in Moldavia, who perhaps got too close to those he was tracking.

Regardless, he would be granted safe passage and on 23 April 1191, he would face his first foe in the Hippodrome.

Built in the 3rd century during Septimius Severus' time, the Hippodrome was located within the heart of the city and adjacent to the Great Palace - the imperial residence. It was the place for chariot racing and would attract tens of thousands of attendees for centuries to come. By the time of Havel’s arrival, it was not used as frequently, but was still a popular place for festivals and executions.

That included tournaments, like the one the Velky Vohlv now had to compete in. But first he had a champion to face.

This was a public event and even if not, Havel had sufficiently angered the people enough that seeing him dead was an attractive prospect. The capacity of the Hippodrome is debated, from anywhere between thirty-thousand and sixty-thousand people, but Byzantine sources and our friend Sedizimir vouch that it was filled to capacity.

View attachment 806906
A map and layout of the Hippodrome, showing just how close it was to the Great Palace where Lazaros would reside.
​

Havel was to serve as the opening event, with the tournament to follow immediately afterwards. His retinue and Sedizimir were given front-row seats, with their Emperor taking his place in the arena. Havel writes later of how he marvelled at the spina (the middle barrier of the racecourse/arena) adorned with monuments and the 60ft obelisk of Thutmose III. He makes no mention of the obscenities and derogatory chants slinged his way by the crowd, like Sedizmir does.

From the imperial box, Basellisu Lazaros silenced the crowd and introduced Havel’s opponent. The first of his champions with a fearsome name - Afráto

The translation? Fluffy.

To the cheers of the crowd, a huge white bear, with armour attached around its body, was marched out. It was reportedly as gilded as the armour that Nikarete wore, including a cloak dyed purple, one of the most expensive dyes of the mediaeval world. The bear was a gift of some sorts from a wealthy trader, with it becoming a beloved pet of Lazaros over the years. With snow-white fur, it was either a polar bear or perhaps an albino, though sources disagree. What is important is that this was to be Havel’s opponent.

It was no Golden Camel or Innocence ala Valentinian I, but it was still an awe-inspiring challenge. ‘A brute to fight a brute!’ the Basselisus proclaimed to cheers. It was meant to intimidate - ‘meant’ being the operative term.

As legend goes, upon seeing his opponent, Havel burst out in laughter. Not for the name, though you’d be forgiven for thinking so, but for the sheer joy he felt. He had been hunting a white bear for years. He had slain one bear already. Now there was a white bear being presented to him. He is then to have gotten onto his knees and shouted out a prayer, audible to many:

‘Perun! I offer my undying gratitude for this chance! For this show of favour! Having been rightly humbled, I now see a chance for greatness! I dedicate this duel to you and all the Gods!’

He then stood up, with excitement rather than the intended shock and prepared to fight. The crowd grew silent, the signal was given and with a roar, Fluffy charged.

With so many officials watching, we have exacting accounts of the resulting battle between man and beast. Havel had hunted bears before, but not ones in custom-made armour. Though this was still an animal, which lacked the tactical thinking and adaptation of a human, it made up for it with swipes that could crack bones and teeth that could rend flesh.

These sources were the first time many had seen Havel in action personally and they did not hide their surprise. They note how an expected one-sided slaughter turned into a contest of stamina, where Fluffy would relentlessly charge and yet never be able to connect a strike. One commentator quotes: ‘It was as if he could tell where each blow would land. This pagan had earned his fearsome reputation’

What many forget is that Havel was still likely recovering from his last bout, with his advanced age and singular eye (which no outside sources mentioned and so confirms its quality) that a challenging fight became a deadly risk.

Havel would prevail in dramatic fashion. The armour would deflect all strikes, but there was a place on it’s body where no armour could be. As Fluffy charged for a bite, Havel surged forwards and lunged his blade into the beast’s open mouth. His shield was shattered in the clash, but Fluffy came off far worse. The blow had been instantly fatal - Havel had slain his white bear.

The crowd was in an uproar, for it was pagan blood they wished spilled. Those close to Lazaros noted how his face betrayed no emotion, only that he ordered the crowd silenced and the tournament to begin. He could not afford to look weak in front of so many at the loss of a beloved pet.

View attachment 806912
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Fluffy’s corpse was dragged away by a dozen men as the command was given for the fighters to enter. It was a free-for-all style engagement consisting of forty opponents, Havel included. He was given no time to rest or even to obtain a new shield. It was an intentional handicap that all in the crowd were willing to overlook after his victory. Weapons were often blunted in these tournaments, but being hit hard enough by a piece of metal could be deadly, no matter how dull or sharp.

It is often rumoured that the fighters were encouraged to target Havel, which is not hard to believe at this stage. If you look for paintings of Havel’s journey, the ‘Fight of the Forty’ is often the second-most common scene - for everyone loves a good underdog story.

It was not 1 vs 39 as so many portray, for those fighting had other opponents to face, but we get records from both sides of how Havel had to face two and even three opponents at once. He would swat them aside, no doubt killing some as his blade had not been dulled in the slightest.

Against all odds, Havel prevailed. You can read any story or view any painting for the grandiose details, but even among historical accounts, there is agreement that his fighting prowess was without peer. ‘Demon’ ‘Savage’ and ‘Monster’ were some of the more tame names he was denoted by, but even these betray a modicum of respect in his ability.

And then came the final trump card Basellius Lazaros had to play. The final and most famous part of Havel’s journey.

Having been supposedly victorious, he looked to where Chief Sedizimir was sitting and raised a hand in celebration. The crowd, once silent and resentful, began to chant in unison in Greek, ‘Gigas! Gigas!’ - ‘Giant! Giant!’

Havel was confused. He then looked to Chief Sedizimir and saw he had gone pale, looking past his ruler and to where his final opponent, the second champion of Lazaros, was stepping from.

Alexios the Giant.

View attachment 806914​

Baselius Lazaros had made the announcement himself, giving Havel and those wounded no chance to recover. It was a brazen attempt to get him killed and from our sources, had a decent chance at success.

For a man playing the Goliath to Havel’s David, we know few things concrete about him. He had to have been a name known to the people of the city or those that attended tournaments. Records of these past events are slim at best, though mentions of a ‘giant in service to the Basileus’ leave little to the imagination.

As you may imagine, his height has varied over the centuries for the sake of a good story. Our best estimate of those few sources we do have put him anywhere up to 8’ 6”, which is a staggering size. Havel himself later accounts that he was ‘the height of three men, with a club the length of one’ - untrue, but it does denote the sizable difference in height, for Havel was 6’2” and that was uncommonly tall for the time.

Alexios most likely suffered from a form of gigantism, where the pituitary gland over-produces growth hormone and while he would have a host of medical problems, he would have also possessed great physical strength. Enough to kill Havel with ease.

Of all the fights we have covered, it is this one that is not only the grandest, but also where the line between reality and myth is thinnest, even in relatively modern sources. Thunderstorms that struck Havel’s blade, Alexios’ club striking the ground and causing the entire Hippodrome to shake, Havel being thrown through the spina and recovering from mortal wounds with the aid of Gods and so on. It is not uncommon to see depictions of the Gods standing by Havel and granting him support, such is the level of legend this battle produced.

But every legend has a kernel of truth buried within. It was a vicious fight to the death and an incredibly unfair one at that, one that must have pushed Havel to his limit. These legends always showcase one thing we have seen time and time again - Havel’s unwavering vigour.

The moment came, as legend and factual sources alike agree on the result. Alexios slammed his club with such strength that it dug itself into the ground, with Havel only just dodging the bone-shattering strike. The giant man then leaned over himself to leverage the club out - a deadly mistake. Before he could pull out the weapon, Havel charged forwards, jumped and plunged the blade into his neck so deeply that it became lodged in the flesh. Alexios shunted him off, causing Havel to crash to the ground, his blade still lodged in the giant’s throat.

The crowd fell silent and soon only the chiling sound of Alexios’ gurgled screams could be heard. The colossus stumbled, fell, then stilled.

View attachment 806915​

Havel had been pushed to a point beyond exhaustion. Lazaros had been pushed to a point beyond fury, the crowd beyond words. It was here that Sedizimir and the retinue saved their liege’s life once more.

Much like with Count Valerios, that stunned silence allowed a brief moment to escape. Sedizimir and his group were given front row seats, allowing them to vault the wall and land in the Hippodrome and spirit the depleted man away - not before he retrieved his blade. It was this movement that began to stir the onlookers from their stupor.

Havel was at times blind to danger, but Nikarete had forced him to open his eyes somewhat. In those three days before the tournament, he had procured the fastest horses his money could buy and had hidden them nearby for a quick flight.

A quick flight was sorely needed, for soon every person in that arena was out for his blood. Lazaros himself included, for Havel had, in his own words: ‘deprived me of a dear friend, beloved pet and glorious champion with cruel speed’ - reason was out the proverbial window, he ordered Havel to be executed and a price put on his head.

By the time the news had spread, Havel had fled the city with speed. His path was not the same as returning, for there was a real concern that the navy would be made aware of his escape. Such was the fury of Lazaros there was genuine worry he would mobilise the entire navy of his empire to capture a single man. The backup escape plan was simple; run their horses into the ground and into Moldavia, where Lazaros would find his reach severely diminished.

Their flight can be as legendary as Havel’s fight as there was probably not much time to write when fleeing for your life, but needless to say he escaped. On 18 July 1192, they would arrive back in the capital, for word has spread of his return since he entered his empire’s borders.

The entire city had been dressed in celebratory banners and made aware of his return, his palace included. Men cheered, women (supposedly) fainted and all had heard of his journey. At the palace itself, King Pelka was at the head of a group of his vassals that decided to welcome their liege in person. Already there were rumours of him fighting a hundred men, being captured and so on. This was only a few months after the fact, which I always use as a demonstration of using sources among my students:

The more mythical a tale is, regardless how true, the quicker myth is assigned to it.

Celebrations lasted for weeks. Havel had made his mark on history just as he intended. It was also here that he gave his most famous speech of his life and I will not recount it here, other than one section that all readers would know, even if they have never heard of the man:

“On wings of faith, the Gods carried us to victory against all that dared oppose us! On wings of fury, they carried their message through their appointed champion - that all can no longer ignore their benevolent presence!”

Maybe you wondered where the house motto of the Gryfita dynasty came from? Now you know.

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His unwavering courage and vigour are storied to this day. For he was the man chosen by Perun himself, gifted with his thunder that he had kept within his heart, for what other than the power of a god could allow him to accomplish so much? It is why his blade would become entwined with the ascension of a new emperor. It is why ‘May your heart hold it’s thunder’ is a way of wishing good luck to this day. It is why so many know of Velky Vohlv Havel ‘the Thunderheart’.

Lazaros could not kill him. Chernobog could not kill him. But there was one foe that Havel could never conquer.

The inexorable march of time itself.

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You forgot to threadmark this chapter.

 

[Superstorm]

Wow!
Horrible subject matter but you have tackled it with aplomb.

That is my favorite part of an extremely strong chapter. The writing is rich and deep. This is absolutely some of the best work in this AAR in the past few months, and that is not to diminish what has come before this one. Well done.

View attachment 1025373​

Thank you for the kind words! I try my best to get across the detail I want and make sure it's enjoyable to read. It is a horrible subject, though I daresay matches to how the plague wracked Europe in our own timeline and I had to mix in some defiant last stands and sympathy in an otherwise bleak (and honestly very dull gameplay wise) war.

"What's this? My handsome liege stricken by a great pestilence? This jar full of BEEEEEEES will put a stop to that!"

Historical inspiration for Dr. Bees confirmed! Sometimes the dumbest stuff happens and I'll admit it took a while to figure how exactly to write him getting better from that.

You forgot to threadmark this chapter.

Thanks! I intend to sit down and sort out the threadmarks and make sure the order is better. Doing the odd tweak here and there so if I've missed any or any other glitches then I welcome people telling me about them.

 

[Bullfilter]

At the risk of insulting your intelligence, bee stings are not an effective treatment for bubonic plague.

Oh, but they are in CK2land.

Shockingly, however, this treatment appeared to have a miraculous effect.

Nah, works every time (ahem).

How, you may ask? The answer is simple: Strasz had already recovered.

Oh, don’t be a party pooper But nice reasoning of the unreasoned.

It is strange to think of an alternate reality where Strasz survives the dreaded Black Death only to die from anaphylactic shock due to bee stings

You have a devious imagination.

The reason for this counter-invasion is not entirely clear.

Ah, the old Crusade-killing invasion of Rome trick. Gotta admire them for trying.

Gerbet disembarked at mouth of the Vistula, where 15,000 mercenaries awaited him.

Ouch. Of course, Gryfita knew exactly what to expect.

There is some evidence that Strasz promoted this notion to make his men fight despite being starving and diseased.

The whole episode is miserably well written and this is a very desolate thought.

Whether this was because the guilty party had been justly punished, or because there was no longer a need to justify the invasion, is still debated.

I think we know the likely answer: pretext quickly forgotten after its usefulness wears out.

He had landed in England with 30-35,000 men.

When he left a few days after the above scene, he returned with 3,000.

“A crown stained by blood, a land bathed in ash and death. What am I made ruler of? A land of hostile nobles, weeping widows and the dead.”

Strasz creates a desert and calls it peace.

The writing is rich and deep. This is absolutely some of the best work in this AAR in the past few months, and that is not to diminish what has come before this one. Well done.

Agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Superstorm]

Oh, but they are in CK2land.

Thank you for reading! It did make me chuckle, I honestly expected Strasz to die there and then and thought demanding something drastic was in character for him - but the RNG Gods decided to bless me on that.

Nah, works every time (ahem).

Oh, don’t be a party pooper But nice reasoning of the unreasoned.

It took a while for me to figure out how to make it make sense, so thank you.

You have a devious imagination.

I expected him to croak and it would have been fitting, angry man killed by angry bees, but alas the story went a different way hah.

Ah, the old Crusade-killing invasion of Rome trick. Gotta admire them for trying.

It’s a method that’s been proving very effective and the crusaders have been learning. Though the plague was the greatest trick of them all.

Ouch. Of course, Gryfita knew exactly what to expect.

Oh yes. That and I know how you can look away for a minute and find a million crusaders navally invading you.

The whole episode is miserably well written and this is a very desolate thought.

Thank you! I did try to capture that a little, while keeping the history book feel. I always welcome advice on that front. ^^

I think we know the likely answer: pretext quickly forgotten after its usefulness wears out.

Vae victus.

90% casualties rates - oddly fitting for a siege assault in a hostile land.

Strasz creates a desert and calls it peace.

To be honest, gaining/usurping every title after a crusade/great holy war is fairly OP but in this case, I think a lot of the nobility would be too busy with the plague to form any concerted resistance.

Agree wholeheartedly.

That’s very kind of you. I do like to think my writing improves as I go on and I’m trying to practice and learn new things as I go. This project is a mental health exercise and writing exercise after all.

 

[Superstorm]

Hello everyone, sorry for leaving it a bit late but just wanted to say the next update will be a few days late.

I’m on an increased dosage of meds for my mental health issues and while it is helping, they’ve left me feeling very fatigued. Combined with a busy work period and medical appointments, I’ve not had much time/energy to write.

The update is about half-done and the one after I have mostly planned out, so the schedule shall be maintained.

Apologies again and I look forward to sharing the next post with you all.

 

[Chac1]

Hello everyone, sorry for leaving it a bit late but just wanted to say the next update will be a few days late.

I’m on an increased dosage of meds for my mental health issues and while it is helping, they’ve left me feeling very fatigued. Combined with a busy work period and medical appointments, I’ve not had much time/energy to write.

The update is about half-done and the one after I have mostly planned out, so the schedule shall be maintained.

Apologies again and I look forward to sharing the next post with you all.

Health first, of course. Thanks for the update. Your loyal readers will definitely be here when you return. No worries.

 

[Midnite Duke]

@Superstorm, please take care of yourself. We will be waiting for you to update and thoroughly enjoy it when you do. Thank you for everything you do.

 

[Bullfilter]

As always, take care. Many/most of us go through broadly similar times (whatever the health + RL issues may be) and will always understand. Thanks for taking the trouble to let us know. Writing and posting here should always be something that helps rather than hinders and is a pleasure, so always best to wait until the time is just right for you. Not us - it will be the right time whenever it is.

 

[Superstorm]

Hello all, apologies for going dark for a period of time.

Just an update, the meds really messed with me and combined with a long period of low mood (that got pretty bad) I was referred to a psychiatrist by my GP. Got a new diagnosis (a double dealing of disorders!) and some new meds to take. I am (as you can see, poorly) trying to keep my spirits up but am in a rough patch.

Updates will be coming I assure you (literally have like 30 years left to go and this bad boy IS being finished at a quality I'm happy with) but don't want to rush or write crap, as that's an insult to you readers and me for this passion project.

And again, apologies but just need to prioritise my mental health for a bit. I don’t like to make excuses and hope I do not come across that way, but thanks as always for your support and understanding.

 

[Chac1]

Please @Superstorm , take your time. Your readers will be patient. At least this one will be.
If anyone here knows about new meds or new mental health meds, it can take two or three weeks for them to set right and for a person to adjust properly. So no rush, please.

And now, a quick tangent to note that this and other AARs in this forum and elsewhere are eligible in two on-going awards polls.

First there is the 2023 Q3 AARland Choice Awards (ACAs). There's also the bigger 2023 Yearly AARland Year-end AwAARds (YAYAs).
This AAR will be showing up on my ballots. Perhaps others will consider voting too.

Even those who don't usually comment are welcome to vote.

 

[Bullfilter]

As always, look after yourself first my friend, the rest follows. This will remain something for us to look forward to in due course: because we enjoy the work you do but, more importantly, it will mean you’re back in a place where it will give you pleasure to write. xxx

 

[Midnite Duke]

Please take care of yourself. My thoughts and prayers are with you. At your leisure, come back as reader, commenter or writer if any give you encouragement.

 

[Idhrendur]

As the others have said, please take your time and continue looking out for your mental health first.