In the year 903 our emissary to the north, Nicolo di Porta Nuova arranged an alliance with the eastern Frankish empire. All the better to keep their meddling western rivals occupied.
Our allies now include the greater part of the known world, the eastern franks, the iberians states, the venetians, the eastern romans, the rus, the danes, the Armenians, the nomads, the serbs, the pols and the bulgars all send their respect to the great king Rex Benergario the Malevolent. Just out of respect and fear of his Majesty.
Later that year the pope sent word that he was distressed to see the devastation we inflicted on the Burgundian savages, for they were "fellow Christians." The king balked at the absurdity of some aging cleric in a nothing city state that he could take at will, telling him who to attack and when. Non the less the proposal only requested a truce for 7 months, and the troops needed time to rest and prepare for a proper invasion. Rome will fall, but not yet.
Heralds from the east then sent word that the Magyars declared war on the Pols. A predictable turn of events that turned few heads at court. The king simply noted this for future reference when the time came to expand to the east.
In the winter the time to attack finally arrived, the pope had commanded us to cease hostilities, however the prince was still trapped on Sardinia. He was in our territory and he would pay for his transgressions.
With a combined imperial army crossbowmen from Genoa, Bosnian and Balkan archers, Italian spearmen, Lombard knights, and sardinian skirmishers. Not since the time of the old roman's had such a force been mustered. Crown Prince Adalberto attacked Theverin, and he would show no mercy.
The prince sounded the rally, and lifted the banner of battle.
the Lombard knights
The Sardinian Javelinmen
The whole army arrayed in the roman fashion, three lines in perfect order.
We lead the force to the crest of a ridge to maximize our balistari, the Burgundian horde advanced in a disordered rabble of spears and archers.
the fools allowed a gap to open up in their lines. Thinking they could shoot first the archers advanced far ahead of the army. So the prince sent his lombards into battle, they decimated the enemy archers.
The Burgundian prince sent his Seigneurs in a desperate counter measure but they were easily flanked, surrounded, and cut down by our horsemen.
All fell before the main battle lines engaged. The prince then ordered his cavalry to retire to the rear of the column and waited for the enemy to advance up hill under a hale of missiles. He casually wagered with his companions as to whether or not the enemy would break before they made it up the hill.
They did, to little effect.
Before long they were running in terror down the hill, only to be trampled underfoot by the princes lombards.
In a suicidal charge Theverin attacked Adalberto directly, and the prince was pursuing routing troops down the hill. For the moment the Adalberto was in peril, but just in time his trusty lombard cavalry charged forth and fell Theverins companions.
Then Theverin was captured, though in the confusion word spread that he had been killed. No such noble fate awaited the cowardly barbarian prince.
The survivors were captured or killed in droves, others fled back to the fields like animals.
The victory was total.
We offered ransom for the captive prince and his men.
Much to our delight the destitute Burgundian kingdom refused, and we executed them all like common criminals.
With the Burgundians pacified, the prince then turned to finish the conquest of the Island, laying siege to the Saracen held city of Calari
Later that season a band of brigands appeared just outside the stronghold of Torino. Oberto Obertenghi sallied forth with two detachment of levy spearmen, they met the rebel leader Gerhard Ritter and his two detachments of crossbowmen.
Little less about this minor affair is of note, however Oberto was severely wounded by an enemy bolt and required careful nursing back in Torino.
The prince's son, now Governor of Calari began constructing fortifications to house his Sardinian auxiliaries.
There were also more strange disappearances of prominent persons from other realms.
No one in the court can be heard to utter a word of this. When a certain man enters the cort to approach the king, they avert their eyes.
In the year 907 the "peace of god" ended. The pope was pleased.
It was then that the king of the Burgundians died, under mysterious circumstances.
Soon after the prince with his combined forces arrived at the now vacant capital. Marseille will fall.
The pope, pleased with the length of the truce, then promoted one of our priests, Dego da Borzone to the college of Cardinals.
With his influence he urged the pope to call a second Crusade on Cordoba, the pope granted this request.
When word reached the king he was delighted, "yes let the fools fight and die in Iberia yet again, all the better for us to have a free hand here in Italia"
He also recieved a report from Boso Supponidi, who informed him that he had recently dispatched some brigands near bologna, the city he was charged to govern, the king sent his gratitude along with a small bounty.
The fool Burgundians abandoned their capital for the "crusade" against the moors.
Our spearmen newly armored with the latest advances in metallurgy glistened in the sunlight.
Our men advanced in the normal fashion, toward the city walls with ladders and rams.
crossbows and bowmen firing behind. The walls quickly fell.
Followed soon after by the city gate.
Our cavalry routed the archers.
Our spearmen skewered the enemy horsemen.
Our men from Bosnia rained death from above.
Just at the moment when the position of the Burgundians seemed as dark as midnight, our horsemen who had flanked the enemy charged in and finished them.
Their captain fell, upon a heap of his fallen comrades.
Victory was ours.
We spared the city any further death, it was a prosperous city and the prince decided it would be better to leave it intact, under more civilized rule.
With their only port city gone the Burgundian navy's time had come. They fell easily.
Raffaele Anscarici was appointed to govern the city, with a small garrison of franks and Italians while the prince returned to Italy to replenish his army for future conquest.
At the same time the nobles offered a bounty for a rebel Magyar prince who held an Independent city bordering Zagreba. He then met with an untimely death, which caused the nobles to be quite generous with their thanks.
A spy was dispatched to the independent Greek Island of Corfu, which seemed to be garnering undue attention by the Byzantine and Moorish Navies
In the year 908 word reached the king that the western franks had joined in his diversionary crusade against the Moors. The franks who had declared war in support of their Burgundian allies had done nothing at all but express diplomatic support, this would ensure that their participation in this conflict remains uneventful.
later that year war broke out between two allies in the east. The catholic Moravians attacked the orthodox Bulgarians.
Petitions were sent to the king for support, and he spent much time to consider the diplomatic repercussions of choosing one side over the other. In the end, the king reasoned that since both sides were alone, and that the Moravians were catholic, and that the Bulgarians were in conflict with their fellow Orthodox Christians in Byzantium, that it would be best for papal and imperial politics to side with the Moravians. The Bulgars were appalled but their protests mean little to the great king. Their turn to feal the bite of our crossbowmen and the sting of our spears will come in time.
The Byzantines sent a force to take Corfu
the report to the king read as thus, "Sire the Greeks laid siege to Corfu with a meager force of armed peasants and militia. The islanders who in ancient times once fended off the mighty Athenian empire rallied to their capital and repelled the invaders. We do not know if a single byzantine was left alive but we do know the Island remains free... for now"
At that moment a black-cowled figure approached the king. No words were exchanged, but the king gave a nod and the man was dismissed.
He was said to have crack a brief smile, before ordering his wine Stewart to fetch a glass of his finest Tuscan wine. Which he drank in bliss.
That winter the Spaniards joined the Crusade, it seems diversion might succeed all the better to keep the moors in Spain.
The fortifications on Sardinia were also completed, and fully garrisoned.
An emissary from a far away land to the north arrived, a certain Patrick Macdougall was quickly engaged by the wily diplomat Nicolo di Porta Nuova.
After much discussion trade rights, territorial information, and a military alliance were secured.
It was also reported that several persons of importance disappeared under mysterious circumstances at this time. Nothing was said about this at court.
Our fleets then reported a combined Venetian and Byzantine assault on Corfu.
The king determined that now was the time to act, he would not allow his rivals this strategic naval base.
In 909 the mysterious disappearances continued with distressing regularity.
That winter reports from the middle east arrived at court. A Jihad was called against the independent city of Madinah. The king was pleased to learn that the Islamic hosts were concentrating their attention to Arabia, and away from the Mediterranean.
In the year 910 a trade colony was founded in the city of Genua.
More mysterious deaths were reported and a paltry frankish fleet was destroyed off the coast of corsica. Minor events of no consequence to the great king.
In 911 the crusade ended in success. The Burgundians took Cordoba.
Some grumblings were heard at court but the king announced that it was good, for "they are now surrounded by hostile Moors and will be quite preoccupied," (as he intended that they should be.)
War also broke out between the Bulgars and the Serbs, as well as between the franks and the iberians.
A merchants guild was founded in Bologna.
In the winter reports to the king were quite good, the Frankish king was excommunicated for some offense and his thrown is now in jeopardy. Future crusades may be directed at Paris, rather than Cordoba.
In their weakened position it was expedient that there be a truce and a return to trade, and so it was.
Marco Aleramici was then dispatched to snatch the Island of Corfu from the avaricious grasp of the Venetian and Byzantine armies.