Eastern Strife; Lithuanian AAR
Well, this is my first AAR ever. It is done with the MTW XL mod, began on Normal difficulty (I'm not that great of a player, as you'll no doubt see during the course of this), in the Early Era XL, with the Lithuanian faction.
The Rules
1. Will not ally with a Catholic state, except if I myself proposed that alliance OR if it's a wedding proposal.
2. Will not use bribes against rebels, and only in dire circumstances against the other factions.
3. Cannot have more than three spies, two assassins and four emissaries at once.
4. Limited use of crossbows or arbalests, including mounted crossbowmen.
5. Will not war against Poland, only defend.
6. Cannot, absolutely CANNOT lose Lithuania to another faction. If it is lost, I must reclaim it within no more than three turns, or it’s ‘game over’.
I didn't really have a clear goal in mind, except for building an empire somewhat familiar to the real Lithuanian territories at their max extent - from Baltic Sea to Black Sea. But, really, that'll probably be achieved quickly, so I'll just play it and see what happens.
I confess, this first chapter might be quite boring, but nothing really happened during those first turns. I hoped to get a good battle, but you'll see what came out of it.
Chapter 1: Meet the Lithuanians
The Grand Duke of the Lithuanians, Algirdas the First.
Lord Vytautaitis, a cousin of Algirdas and the appointed regent of Lithuania who is to rule in the Grand Duke’s absence.
The birth of a son of the Grand Duke, the third son and the fourth child, is celebrated throughout the land. The child is given the name of Vytautas, and it is expected he shall carry on the legacy of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes should the worst happen.
Troubling news come from the west. The Holy Roman Empire, perhaps the nearest of the western Catholics to Lithuania, is considered to field the mightiest and the most numerous armies. The Council of Nobles and the Grand Duke are worried - should this force turn against the east, the relatively small power of Lithuania would not stand much of a chance.
Worried by the news, the Grand Duke quickly assembles a force and marches out into the neighboring province of Chernigov. Fortunately, Algirdas’ rashness does not put him into trouble, as the local forces decide to withdraw to Ryazan. Chernigov, relatively peacefully, falls into Lithuanian hands before the Kievans could lay their hands on it.
Lord Ceidvilas is appointed to the station of Duke of Chernigov. While not the most trustworthy person, Ceidvilas had the makings of a fine governor; Algirdas had hope that, with time, loyalty would come to the man. If not, disposing of him would not be a problem. For the meantime, Lithuania needed every coin they could squeeze out of their provinces.
More good news for the Lithuanians – one of the Grand Duke’s sons comes of age. However, Algirdas is worried about his rather rebellious son, and has decided to keep an eye on all of his activities for the time being.
A tempting alliance offer has been refused. The Grand Duke reasoned that the Catholics are far too unpredictable and intolerant when it came to people of other religions, and that this ‘alliance’ was more of an offer of vassalage, something the Lithuanians fiercely resisted. However, the Council was worried that this refusal of an alliance from such a comparatively tiny nation might insult the Emperor, and spark a war between the two factions, something Lithuanians needed least at the time.
More news from the West. Apparently, the Holy Roman Empire is the leading power in Europe, and not only militarily. This made even the proud Grand Duke begin questioning his decision. However, in the end his opinion remains the same – Lithuanians must remain free from western nations, and, if possible, retain their old, pagan ways.
Finally, a reason for the Lithuanians to rejoice. Civilization is beginning to flourish in their lands – soon, the Lithuanian Grand Dukes will find themselves equal with the Kings of the West!
The title of Chamberlain is appointed to Lord Vytautaitis, strengthening his bond with the Grand Duke and the nation. The Duke is quick to learn, and is soon one of the most well-learned people in Lithuania and possibly the entire north-eastern Europe as well.
Again, news from the western frontier, for once not about the Holy Roman Empire. The achievements of these ‘English’ are impressive, and perhaps there are a few pointers to take from them in taxation. The Grand Duke makes note to try and make contact with them as soon as possible.
More good news – an alliance with one of the most powerful nations of Europe and perhaps the world is signed after much consideration. The Grand Duke decides, from what he knows of the east, that the Byzantine Emperor will not try to take Lithuania’s freedom, and such a mighty ally can be useful, especially since Byzantine Empire is the main orthodox authority, and Lithuania is beset by Russian Orthodoxes on all sides – perhaps the Byzantines will be able to contain the Novgorodians and Kievans. And, if worst came to the worst, Lithuanians could become Orthodoxes themselves, accepting the religion from Byzantines.
The Lithuanian religion is being spread in Chernigov successfully, replacing Orthodox Christianity. Hopefully, this will not upset the Orthodoxes in the region.
The daughter of Algirdas comes of age. It is decided that she will be married off to the Polish prince, in an attempt to establish friendly relationships with the neighbors.
Several years pass by peacefully, with no major events in Lithuania. The Grand Duke continues mustering a sizeable force; the Lithuanians had not yet seen combat, yet it was possible that was going to change, and quite soon. Algirdas had his eyes on Smolensk, a Novgorodian province.
On another note, the Lithuanian border watch noticed several failed attempts of the Volga-Bulgarians to take Ryazan, until the province was finally claimed by the Novgorodians. Lithuanian forces did not arrive in time to claim it for themselves; however, expansion so far east was not yet planned, thus perhaps it was for the best.
Finally, the time was right – the Lithuanian army invaded Smolensk, and attempted to draw the Novgorodians, who were still besieging a particularly well-provisioned rebel fort, into an open battle. However, the battle of Smolensk was not to be…
This move unnerved the Grand Duke – most likely, the Novgorodians were plotting something, and this was only a part of their strategy. Indeed…
(Author’s note: In the excitement, I forgot to take a shot of the Kievans withdrawing from Lithuania)
The Lithuanians had fallen into a trap! With no allies left, and both Kievans and Novgorodians against them, Lithuanians’ only hope was Poland – the united nations could hope strike down the Orthodox threat.
At least the rebels in Smolensk fell quickly, since their food supplies were exhausted by the Novgorodians.
So far, the only attack against the Lithuanians was but an ill-planned invasion from Kiev, but the Grand Duke quickly sent a letter to Lord Chamberlain Vytautaitis to strengthen Vilnius’ defense. If the Polish were to become hostile, there would be little hope for Lithuania to survive...
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I've tried moving it back, but, alas, it didn't work. So I guess I'll have to quit on this AAR...
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