Yaroslav the Black
Yaroslav the Black (High Secote: ⰡⰓⰑⰔⰎⰀⰂⰟ ⰝⰓⰟⰐⰟ, Ěroslavŭ črŭnŭ; 30 Empery 1449 – 1493?) was the final Emperor in the North of the Tirfatsevid Empire, ruling from 1480 until his disappearance in 1493. The first decade of his rule was marked by a consolidation of the power and independence of the northern court. Following the example of Ostromir II and Yaroslav's own co-emperor Mstislav III in the south, he sought to broaden his power against the High Nobility by co-opting the burgeoning apparatus of Vesnite scholars in his territory as administrators. Despite his generous sponsorship of the urban Scholars, Yaroslav alienated many common Vesnites by his open support of schism from the Prysostaia and his stringent interventions in the application of Vaestic law, which garnered him a reputation for cruelty. Nonetheless, the realm's economy continued to grow markedly, and Yaroslav successfully asserted his autonomy from Mstislav, his notional senior. After defeating and killing the Anabbine Emperor Avron at the Battle of the Tarmau Hills in 1482, Yaroslav succeeded in turning the tide of the slow Anabbine advance into northern Tirfatsia that had taken place since 1457, pushing the Anabbines back to the Isartian coast, and from there to the border of modern Khabbat. At the same time, he conducted regular incursions into the Vesnite territories to the east.
| Yaroslav | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tirfatsky Emperor in the North | |
| Reign | 1480–1493 |
| Coronation | 20 Nollonger 1480 |
| Predecessor | Ostromir III |
| Successor | Title abolished |
| Co-emperor | Mstislav III |
| Born | 30 Empery 1449 Inetsograd, Tirfatsevid Empire |
| Died | 1493? |
| Dynasty | Tirfatsevid |
| Religion | Sirian |
The earlier successes of Yaroslav's rule were brought to a sudden end by the rise of Nerits and the resolution of the Wars of Heresy. In 1490, Nerits was crowned Emperor of the Vesnites, and his armies invaded Tirfatsia from the northeast soon afterwards. The levies of Yaroslav's feudatories proved no match for the large, well-disciplined Vesnite host, and the Tirfatsevids' position deteriorated quickly. Though Yaroslav succeeded in holding Nerits at bay for some time along the Dvel, a second offensive by the Vesnite commander in 1492 reached Inetsograd, easily capturing the capital with the aid of the Vesnites in the municipal administration. The northern emperor evaded the conquerors, having left the city before the betrayal, and took command of the remaining armies of the northern court to the west. After suffering a second crushing defeat at the Battle of Opovets, however, Yaroslav fled south with a small number of retainers to seek the assistance of his co-emperor. The group was diverted from the main road to Axopol in unclear circumstances, and vanished near the southern bank of the Tormaytah. Yaroslav's ultimate fate is unknown. In his absence, the resistance of the northern court collapsed, and the remainder of the northern portion of the empire was easily overrun.