Rise of the Mongols

House Bilar the Bolghars

Chief Khudbard is 26 years old and chief of the Tribe of Bilyar overlooking the river Volga. Bilyar is one of 5 tribes that make up the High Chiefdom of Bolghar in  Volga-Bulgaria. Bilyar has decent relations with all the 5 tribes in the Chiefdom and all share the Tengri religion common to the steppe people of Eurasia. However to the north Bilyar lies the Chiefdom of Perm and the holy site of Soumenusko faith of the Finnish tribes. 

It's 769 AD and Khudbard is on the look out for a suitable wife. He finds it hard to believe amongst all the 5 tribes, there are only two women available for marriage. The first Ozgul lives with the Tribe of Ashli and shares Khudbard's paranoia, bravery and arbitrary actions. The second Puyantay is in Khudbard's tribe, however she's the try imbecile. The decision appears to be easy, however neither come from any respectable house in the lands so this will hurt his prestige amongst the chiefs. Khudbard settles for Ozgul and sends a messenger to Chief Islivan of Ashli to bring back the 16 year old Ashli to Bilyar. A week or so later, the messenger returns with the lowborn Ozgul and the two wed in Bilyar. Marriage to a lowborn hurts Khudbard's reputation, but it's not like the other chiefs have much of an option either.

Khudbard meets with his council and sets the focus of improving relations with the neighbouring tribes of Bolghar as he looks to strengthen his own men and find a suitable village to raid. It's not long before, High Chief Toktu of Bulghar commands Khudbard to send his men and join the war for the Subjugation of Volga Bulgaria against the High Chief of neighbouring Tribes of Mari. Of course Khudbard hasn't to accept. The Army of Bilyar marches north up the  Volga to join up with the Army of Toktu. A year later the army returns victorious and gained the tribes of the Chiefdom of Mari in the north.

Days are very cold on the steppes of Bulgaria, and being one of the weakest Chiefs in the region doesn't give Khudbard much excitement and his wife hasn't given him any children yet. Khudbard meets with the other chiefs regularly and decides to take a concubine from each to spice up his tent...

His 500 man army isn't big enough to go on raids, and besides the closest wealthy lands are far away in Turkey, Persia, Armenia and Georgia. That's probably around a 7-8 month march away. Khudbard orders his Marshal to prepare for a raid. "It's time we venture south and see what we can bring back to the steppes" he says. Khudbard picks the Sheikhdom of Khiva just south of the Aral sea. The men Marshal Kotrag put together abadoned the raiding party a few months in during the journey south and the success of the mission was now in jeopardy. To add insult to injury, when the men arrived at Khiva, they were too few to even launch the raid and the neighbouring Sheikhs rode up and slaughtered Khudbard's men.

In the summer of 774, a eunuch named Yacob arrived at Bilyar aboard a merchant caravan. Khudbard took him in as a loyal servant and due to Khudbard's paranoia he named Yacob his official cup bearer.  Yacob was a man of the people, intrusted by many in Khudbard's court. Three years after his arrival he learned of a rumor that Khudbard's wife Ozgul may be having an affair with the infidel Paksut Varakid. Khudbard confronted Paksut and the rumors were true. Khudbard was furious and publicaly denounced both his wife and Paksut. Khudbard made arrangements to divorce his unfaithful wife and made her his concubine instead. Later in the fall, Khudbard married the 17 year old low-born Gundes. She followed the Tengri faith, was diligent and brave like Khudbard. 

A few weeks after his marriage, Khudbard challenges Paksut to a duel to uphold his honor. The coward Paksut has decided to flee to the Kostroma tribe upstream the Volga river.

Traitors

Chief Islivan of Qazan and Chief Khudbard of Bilyar started a faction to lower the trival organization laws in Bolghar. Together they match the man power of the their leige High Chief Toktu and it appears he won't have any options but to accept their demands.