Toggle Background Color
Chapter 6: DAMN BETAZIDS!
After recovering from the war, Davit (known now as the Blessed) launches a holy war against the Cumans. The Byzantine Emperor, despite being bitter over the whole "breaking free from my rule" thing, is quite happy to fight the heathens.
The real reason that I have an alliance with him and I parked my Chancellor over Constantinople. If you're Catholic, a good strategy is park both your Chaplain and over Rome and farm the Pope for tons of gold and claims. It can get rather absurd.
Davit wishes to create a state that will not fear the oncoming of the horde. One day the Georgians and the Alans will not need allies like the Byzantines to survive. But today is not that day. And so they fight for new pastures for the shepherds, new fields for the farmers, and more fuel for the war machine.
I want to avoid big fights with the Muslims by... picking big fights with the Muslims. Or rather I need more land to get more troops and the less land my enemies have the less troops they will throw at me.
Yet more ill news comes over the horizon. The Golden Horde has joined the mass of Sunni powers surrounding Alania. Hopefully they will not join in this war.
The Khan does not join the holy war. He starts one of his own.
But as with the Ilkhanate, the main horde is withdrawn, and the Khan must make do with what is left. It is not enough.
The Cumans surrender shortly afterwards.
Things are not going well for the Ilkhanate. They barely have enough troops to hold their territory together and the breakaway Manichean state of Persia has begun to take land from them.
In keeping with his charitable nature, Davit allows refugees to stay at one of his castles until their homes are rebuilt.
A rabid shaman leads a revolt of Tengris against Davit.
They are swiftly crushed.
Meanwhile, an idealistic young man leads a revolt against the Ilkhanate in the name of restoring the Georgian Crown. The crown is the Bagrationi's by right, but the news of Georgians fighting against their foreign overlords is heartening.
Davit is now an old man. He has fought all his life, felt the wounds of war, and defended the holy faith.
He dies while preparing a invasion of the Ilkhanate.
Aghsartan is a brilliant young man, ambitious, zealous, and a master of stewardship. He is a man who wants to leave his mark on history.
His first order of business is to kill a troublesome vassal. Said vassal is no more.
He also buys some lovely earrings for his wife.
Another troublesome vassal drops dead.
Marco Polo returns from his visit to the Yuan dynasty with some very interesting stories. Aghsartan is more concerned with the Mongols here than in Cathay.
It's time to clear his head by going on a pilgrimage. It goes rather well.
What was meant to be a simple arrest has escalated quickly.
But the Marzoban is completely outmatched.
Like his father, Aghsartan proves to be an inspiring leader.
The Georgian revolt has failed and their leader is a broken man who will soon die in prison.
In other news JOUSTING PARTY!
Things are not looking good for the Zandids. Under pressure from the Caliph and the recently indepedent Afghans, they only control one province.
Aghsartan orders the training of more elite troops. They will be needed in the coming days.
Aghsartan "the Wise" fulfills his dream.
He then begins his conquest of Sarkel.
The war starts smoothly at first, as his mercenary-supplemented army crushes the Horde.
Sarkel is ripe for the taking.
Even another Tengri revolt can't stop the army.
After a year of fighting, Aghsartan is a master of steppe wolfe warfare.
But the tide turns against him. The Khan calls in one of the most powerful warlords to help him fight off the Georgians.
If you're wondering where that massive army came from, that's an adventurer army. Adventurer armies are like claim hosts but instead of pressing a claim they're just after some random duchy. This is how the Duchy of Marrakech can fall under a Norse warlord.
In desperate needs of funds, Aghsartan expels the Jews. Even so, he realizes he cannot win against such numbers. He settles for a white peace and waits for the warlord to lose his massive army. The warlord's army of hopefuls, thugs, mercenaries, and other adventurers must eventually come apart.
While claimhost and adventurer armies stay after they capture their target area, they do not reinforce. I'm waiting for this army to wear itself out.
The Ilkhanate continues its long string of defeats as the Caliph claims Persia in the name of Allah.
Life returns to whatever standard of normal there is in Alania.
Another Crusade (Aghsartan has lost count) is launched for Jerusalem.
Late at night, Demetre runs up to his father Aghsartan begs him to read a bedtime story. After some careful thought, Aghsartan decides to read a book of legends to his son.
This time the Sarmins drive off the Crusader forces.
At long last Aghsartan sees his chance at revenge against the Horde. The Betazids (at least, that's how Aghsartan thought the warlord's dynasty was called) have been called in against the Rurikids. The army is weakened, and the Georgians are ready for battle.
The Rurikids accept his aid.
The result is a resounding victory for the Georgians and a devastating defeat for the Betazids. The Golden Horde is ready for conquest.
But that will be for his son to deal with.
Next Time: Wrath of the Caliphate