Spectrum 3

Spectrum 3: Succession and Success
by Stephen Lazer
17 November 2001

Does the death of a kinsman rate higher than the death of a stranger?
A brother more than a friend?
A friend more than one unknown?
To go against one's trusted is the worst kind of murder.
Killing one's own flesh and blood is like killing one's own body.
Killing one's close friends is like killing one's own soul.
*Questions*

**Russia, History of**

"Succession after Vladimir"
As Vladimir's health grew worse, his sons began plotting against him and each other to succeed to the throne of Kievan Rus. Sviatopolk had been arrested and imprisoned by Vladimir for plotting against him, and Jaroslav, who had control of heavily Submissive Novgorod, stopped sending dues to his father.

Vladimir passed away in SE 243 [1015 CE]. Sviatopolk was released from his imprisonment and seized control in Kiev. He soon had three of his brothers assassinated. One, Boris of Rostov, had been fighting the Pechenegs. However, legend has it that he refused to bring his army against Kiev, believing that the deaths that would result from a battle for the city would earn him a thousand years’ punishment at the hands of Lady Hel.

Following the deaths of his brothers, Sviatopolk had to deal with Jaroslav of Novgorod. The two brothers’ armies met at a frozen river near the Dniepr. There, Jaroslav maneuvered Sviatopolk's men onto thin ice and, as the ice broke and his army drowned, Sviatopolk fled to the Deputate of the Vistula. There, at the court of Deputy Boleslav Mjeskoson, he formally adopted orthodox Submission. In SE 246 [1018 CE], Sviatopolk returned with an army led by Deputy Boleslav. After taking the city and forcing Jaroslav back to Novgorod, Boleslav dismissed his auxiliaries and returned to Vistulis, claiming the Cherven towns on the way home.

With Boleslav gone, Sviatopolk was again vulnerable. Fearing the return of his brother, Sviatopolk raised an army of Pechenegs. However, when Jaroslav returned from Novgorod he was able to defeat Sviatopolk, who fled again to Vistulis. FN1 There he remained after Boleslav appointed him Thane of Lublin. Like his brother, Jaroslav had converted to orthodox Submission in order to gain allies, traveling to Scandinavia to recruit a Submissive army. Sviatopolk was gone, but Kiev remained under a Submissive prince. As they had under Jaroslav’s great-grandmother Olga, the Spectral priesthood bided their time. Or did they?

There was one final brother. Mstislav of Chernigov ruled the lands to the south and east of Kiev, on the border of Khazaria, and he remained a firm adherent of Spectrum Submission. Whether in answer to a summons from the Kievan priesthood, or whether he acted on his own, in SE 252 [1024 CE] Mstislav advanced on Kiev and defeated Jaroslav in battle. However, instead of forcing Jarsolav to flee, Mstislav came to an agreement with him: they would divide Kievan Rus between them. Jaroslav would retain the lands west of the Dniepr, while Mstislav would rule the lands to the east of the river from his capital at Chernigov. Legend has it that Mstislav declined to drive his brother from Kievan Rus "for fear he would suffer horrible punishment for doing damage to his kin, as Sviatopolk must be suffering for centuries.” Mstislav’s agreement with his brother also required Jaroslav to convert to Spectrum Submission.

The two brothers ruled Kievan Rus until SE 266 [1038 CE], when Mstislav died with no heir and Jaroslav at last gained sole rule as his father had. Mstislav had built a fine temple in his old capital, while Jaroslav was working on a grandiose temple in Kiev itself, importing artisans and engineers from the Byzantine Empire.

So Iaroslav had control of the Rus, or at least the most important cities. During his remaining years on the throne, Spectrum Submission continued to gain ground at the expense of the orthodox faith. As Spectrum gained converts in Novgorod, the faithful in the Scandinavian heartland of Submission grew worried....