Tamerlane: The Iron Lame against the Russian Miracle

Year 1395. After the victory on the Kulikovo Field, a dozen and a half years passed—but the fate of the Russian Land is again hanging by a thread.

“Over the city and its surroundings the sound of the cathedral bell drifted—bam-m-m, bam-m-m, bam-m-m! Wake up, Rus’, take up arms: the enemy is at the gates!”

Having crushed the Golden Horde and subdued Crimea, the fearsome Tamerlane marches on Moscow. The principality of Yelets has already fallen; Timur’s invincible army is storming the border city:

“Into howled the war trumpet, and ghouls charged into the attack—on horseback! Rushing up close, they made their horses turn sharply, jumped right from the saddle onto the wooden wall, and climbed upward, grabbing the spears stuck there and helping themselves with knives. The warriors shot with bows, hurled spears, and poured boiling resin over the enemies. In other places the ghouls managed to climb up, and now they’re fighting there with sabers. They fought ferociously—the slaughter became a meat grinder. The walls grew slick with blood…”

When news of the invasion reaches Dmitry Donskoy’s son, Vasily marches out to meet the “Iron Lame Knight” and take the battle. But the forces are too unequal—a five-thousand-strong Moscow force against Timur’s two-hundred-thousand host. Only a miracle can save Rus’…