Chp 1.

In 1075, the outbreak of the Serbian War, the Kingdom of Croatia was a tight nit collection of Croatian Duchy’s, and a single Croatian County. Picking up where his father had left off, Klaus von Santini- King of Croatia- with the help of close relatives, a loyal Queen, and a select few Dukes of Croatia, united a collection of formerly disparate and squabbling Croat remnants into a mighty Kingdom.


Born in 1053, Klaus was only 13 at the time of his ascent to the throne, and only 15 when he unified the core Croatian Duchies with his marriage to Miroslava, the beautiful, half Italian bastard child of Dmitar Zvonimir, Duke of Slavonia, ruler of the second largest Croatian Demesne. This marriage was fruitful in more ways than one- having acquired Slavonia, Klaus bullied the other 4 independent Counts of Croatia into accepting Vassal status to the newly formed Kingdom of Croatia.
Additionally, the pair has produced an astonishing number of children. 5 daughters, for use a carrots amongst Klaus’s Vassals, and to tie alliances, and 4 sons, in the process of being groomed for command of future Duchal and County subdivisions.
However, Klaus, his Queen and his children are far from alone. With only a few, minor changes, the Court of the Kingdom of Croatia, era 1075, is much the same as the Court of the Duchy of Croatia, era 1066. Since his earliest days, Klaus has shown an acute standing of war and its associated needs, and a passable understanding of the intricacies of feudal politics, more than adequately compensated by his willingness to listen to his advising staff, his Vassal lords, and his wife.

Chp 2.
At the age of 17, in just 4 years, Klaus von Santini, Liege Lord over the newly created Kingdom of Croatia, had done what no other Croatian lord had managed: a stable and unified Croatia, the Dukes and Counts of which recognizing the power of a central authority.
The basic concept was actually quite simple, but the execution rather complex: After a year of diplomatic niceties, the Duke of Slavonia, through the marriage of his daughter, came into Vassal status, accepting Klaus as his Liege Lord, and putting at his finger tips a force at arms more than sufficient to cudgel, badger and threaten the other Dukes and Counts of Croatia into compliance and Vassaldom, in turn permitting Klaus to claim the title of King of Croatia.
Thereafter, each Duchy and Count was played off one another, with titles granted, revoked and created, all with a single end goal in mind: A shell of vassal Duchies surround the core Duchy of Croatia, center of the Croatian Kingdom. Each Duke was granted the title to a Duchy overlapping the Demesne of their neighbor Duchies. By preventing any single Duke from holding the entirety of the Demesne defined in their Ducal charter, and having the claimed territories part of a fellow Vassal Duchy, each Duke concentrated all their hostilities and suspicions against the fringe, their fellow Dukes of Croatia, rather than the center, the King of Croatia.
The end result was a total upheaval of the classical situation within Croatia: rather than each Duke seeking allies with whom to overthrow the Croatian top dog, each Croatian Duke was left instead seeking the favor of the Croatian King, Klaus, against their neighbors. So long as the Duke’s kept the scale of their squabbles to that of minor skirmishing, Klaus was willing to let them ‘duke’ it out- valuable experience for the forces of his Vassals. However, in the event of an escalation of violence, the King’s forces, and those of his Vassals, stood ever ready to crush the instigators.

Chp. 3:

Ever since he had first been able to read a map and wear a crown, Klaus von Santini had harbored the same three basic desires. Firstly, the warring Croat Duchies were to be united into a single, Croatian Kingdom, under the rule of the Duke and King of Croatia, none other than Klaus himself. Secondly, the Serbian Duchies were to be united, purged of their Orthodox heresy, and formed into a Kingdom of Serbia, also under the rule of the Croatian King. And finally, the Kingdom of Serbia would be scrubbed of its non-Croat/Slavic ethnic tendencies and religions, and a Croatian Empire of the Balkans would come into existence.

In 1065, not even the most sycophantic courtier, nor the Duke himself, (Duke Tomislav ab Santini [The Terror of Bulgars, Conqueror of Chelmia), would have predicted that within ten years, all three goals would be within the reach of the new found King of Croatia. While the chronicles may differ in the process, by 1075, Klaus found himself at just such a juncture. While the formation of the Croatian Kingdom has already been discussed, it was the Byzantine Fracture that laid the grounds for the formation of a Serbian Kingdom under Croat rule.
The events leading to the Byzantine Fracture depend upon the narrative. What is known for sure is that in 1066, the regions of Serbia fell under the control of an independent Catholic Croatian Counts, and two Dukes. It was composed of the independent County of Ragusa, the independent Duchy of Rashka, and the Byzantine Vassal, the Duchy of Vidin. And therein lay the greatest obstacle to Klaus’s dream of a Croatian Empire: nearly half the provinces of Serbia lay in the clutches of a Byzantine vassal.

In 1066, the Byzantine Empire was no laughing matter: in fact, it was certainly the most powerful force in the Balkan region, and perhaps in the Eastern Hemisphere. Emperor Konstantinos Doukas ruled over a massive collection of mixed ethnicity dominions, united in the remembrance of some long lost dream of a new Roman Empire. As such, if the Kingdom of Croatia was to have any chance in seizing the lands of Serbia, either Vidin would have to reject its Liege Lord, or the Byzantine Empire would need be sufficiently reduced to make them no challenger to the might of Croatia.
As it just so happened, by 1075, both had occurred.

Chp. 4:

The Byzantine Fracture: a turning point in Balkan, and, indeed, world history: in just 6 years, one of the largest, most entrenched Empires of the world fragmented into a collection of squabbling Duchies. The events during, and leading up to the Fracture are debated, as their exists two distinct histories of the events: Volume XII of the Byzantium Historium – a contemporary account of the history of Byzantium, as written by Theodadus, a famous Byzantine Historian, and Croatatus Ascendant, a historical summation published in 1207, by Krava Stratgawitz, a Historian/Propagandist of Germano-Croatian descent.

According to official Croatian history (based largely on the Krava works), the Fracture was the end result of cunning manipulation of the various ethnic groups of the Western Byzantine Empire. Klaus von Santini entered into an alliance with both Greek Duchies, in 1067, and allowed Karl von Santini, bastard son of Klaus’s dead brother, to wed to a beautiful Macedonian noblewoman, in 1068, and then encouraged a close relationship between the three Duchies, and an intense rivalry with the newly formed Bulgarian Byzantine Duchy, and both Romanian Byzantine Duchies.

In 1069, this rivalry became a border dispute between the Greeks and the Romanians, which escalated into a border conflict between the Greeks and Macedonians, and the Romanians and Bulgarians. Emperor Konstantinos, in his infinite idiocy, decided to mediate the conflict by admonishing the Greek Dukes, an insult the Duke of Vidin, a Greek himself, was unable to tolerate. The Duchy of Vidin was the first to revolt, an action that ironically lead to a state of war their fellow Greek Duchies, who were in turn then engaged in open warfare by the Bulgar Duchy.

At this turn of events, Emperor Konstantinos, misreading the state of affairs, gave a general call to order- one disobeyed by the Duchies of Greece, Macedonia, and Romania, who all, within a year, broke free of Byzantine rule. Without throwing a single blow, the King of Croatia had brought the Emperor of Byzantium to his knees.

… or so Croatian textbooks would have you believe. The version of events more widely accepted by modern historians, and much closer to the chronicles of Theodadus, ran a little differently. Both the Greek alliances and Macedonian marriage were, in fact, events pretty much out of Klaus’s control. In 1067, the very midst’s of Klaus’s struggle to unify Croatia, the Greek Duchies of Byzantium, in conjunction with the Duchy of Vidin, took advantage of the situation to issue a series of proclamations restricting Croat trade to such an extent that the King of Croatia was brought to the negotiating table with the Duke of Vidin.

What was worked out was a one way promise of military assistance: should Byzantium find itself in a war with Hungary, Croatia was sworn to assist Byzantium. In exchange, Croatian goods were allowed to flow East without tariff, and Byzantine goods flowed west, at discount. Unfortunately, for the fate of the Citizens of the Byzantine Empire, a somewhat falsified version of the news of this signing reached the Emperor long before communication from his Dukes, and it appears he came to view this as an act of disloyalty by the Greeks, and all too likely their Macedonian cousins to their East.

Sadly, by the time the Greek Dukes had nearly managed to convince the Emperor that they remained loyal, fresh news had arrived: Karl von Santini, supposedly an Heir to the Duke of Croatia, had married into the Macedonian Ducal Court (unbeknownst to the Emperor, this marriage was entirely against the will of the Croatian King, Klaus von Santini). These events in conjuncture simply lined up too perfectly. The Emperor flew into a rage.

Konstantinos had the Greek and Macedonian Nobles cast from his court, and in 1069, he ordered his Romanian Vassals to castigate the disloyal Duchies. When, in 1070, a joint Greek/Macedonian force trapped and slaughtered a field army of Romania, the Emperor then ordered Bulgaria into the fight as well. Once news of this reached the Greek Duke of Vidin’s ears (who had a firsthand understanding of the purpose of the initial Croatian treaty), he ordered his own forces into battle- against the Emperor of Byzantium.

Konstantinos then made perhaps the biggest mistake of his imperial career: he ordered the Greek, Macedonian, and Romanian Duchies to arms, to crush the Vidin upstart. When all three refused- the Greeks and Macedonian’s smarting from unfair treatment, and the Romanians already sick of war- the entire Western half of Byzantium fragmented into pieces. Taking advantage of the situation, several Dukes of East Byantium followed thereafter, and as those few Duke’s that heeded the call to arms turned West, a lightning fast strike by the Muslim Turks (the subject of another book, surely), drove deep into the heart of the Eastern Byzantine Empire. Konstantinos, with no other option, began to levy a series of taxes to fund his mobilizations- resulting in a peasant revolt in the capital of Constantinople.

The Empire of Byzantium was crippled, perhaps beyond recovery.


Chp. 5:
Date: January 5th, 1075

In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King and Duke of Croatia
Miroslava von Santini, Queen and Steward of Croatia
Dragija Kacic, Marshal of Croatia
Bernardin Draskovik, Duke of Bosnia
Dmitar Zvonimimir von Santini, Duke of Slavornia
Boris Kosaca, Duke of Dalmatia
Alessandro of Ragusa, Count of Ragusa
Klaus II von Santini, Prince of Croatia
Karl II von Santini, Prince of Croatia

Following the completion of the New Year celebrations and ritual, the Dukes and Counts of Croatia gathered at the fortress of Split, as summoned. Following the completion of the typical niceties and feasting, and leaving their courtage behind, the Croat ruling class gathered, around a table bearing a map of the Balkan.

Klaus stands, leaning upon the table with both hands, and looks to both left and right before speaking:
“Dukes and Counts of Croatia: my loyal Lords. The time has come. The Balkan Geopolitical Situation has developed to our favor to the furthest possible extent: should we wait any longer, the Emperor of Byzantium may begin to bring about of recovery of his power, or the Hungarian or northern pagan kingdoms may begin to interfere, swallowing up the independent Duchies and Counties before we can strike.”

He pauses, waiting for any dissent. Hearing none, he continues:
“My Lords: I hereby issue a call to arms. From the Duchy of Croatia, Split and Zadar shall mobilize. From the Duchy of Bosnia, I shall require the army of Usora. From Slavornia, I request the services of the Varadzin garrison. From Dalmatia, the Zachlumia garrison. Finally, Alessandro, from you I require the Ragusa garrison.”

He looks to his wife, the Queen, for a moment, then continues.
“My Lords, I know not if these forces will be sufficient to see the capture of Serbia. There is a distinct chance I may eventually require the service of your entire forces. However, know this: For the duration of this initial mobilization, and a year after their demobilization, scutage shall be reduced by half. Should I need call upon you for the reminder of your forces, scutage shall be eliminated, from the date of their mobilization, to 5 years post demobilization.”

He looks to his Vassals:
“Objections?”

The Dukes of Dalmatia and Bosnia shake their heads, followed shortly by the Duke of Slavornia, and finally, the Count of Ragusa. Silently, Klaus takes note of the delay.

Duke Boris, of Dalmatia, speaks:
“My Liege: We are absolutely ready to mobilize. However, what plans do you have for this conflict? Shall we simply open the border and pour across in strength?”

Count Alessandro shakes his head.
“I would hope not- the political divisions of the Serbian regions would be a terrible gift to forgo.”

Klaus holds up a hand, then speaks:
“Indeed. We shall mass on the border of the northern independent counties, and begin our assault on the first of March. We shall smash through them one at a time, leaving siege forces in our wake as we move to the next target. Once the independents have been brought into the fold, the Duchy of Rashka shall come next, with a rolling offensive to corner the Rashka Ducal army in Zeta. Thereafter, they too shall be brought into submission, your men released, and the spoils shared.”
“Questions?”

After a brief bickering over the logistics between the Duke of Dalmatia, and the Count of Ragusa, the council is ended, and the Courts disburse, to ready their Duchies for war.


Chp. 6:

Date: March 5th, 1075

In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King and Duke of Croatia
Klaus II von Santini, Prince of Croatia
Dmita Zvonimimir von Santini, Duke of Slavornia
Alessandro of Ragusa, Count of Ragusa

Klaus sits atop a hill at the border of Belgrade, crouched atop a deployed wooden chair.
Waves of anger and rage seem to radiate from his hunched shoulders, and impatiently adjusts the hem of his mail. At his feet, crumpled, lies a missive 4 days old: A dispatch from the Duke of Dalmatia, announcing that his arrival will be several days tardy. Somewhat dejectedly, he stares at the message, thinking.

Where the goddam hell are they? Not even one word from Duke Bernardin. Sons of…

Suddenly, he leaps to his feet. In the distance, he spots a line thread of dust, ascending as if smoke from an extinguished candle, coming from the west. Quickly he runs down the hill, as his stunned aide starts, turns about quickly to retrieve the chair, then turns to chase after his King.

At the base of the hill, he gestures to Duke Dmitar, and Count Alessandro, and together with their entourage, the Lords quickly rush their way to the field post.

By now the source of the dust cloud had neared sufficiently for identification. Over the waving, ripening stalks of wheat, the Gold on Blue coat of arms of the Duchy of Bosnia is visible. And yet… only one man, atop an unlathered horse, canters his way towards the assembled nobles. At 5 meters, he stops, and unfolds a rolled parchment. He speaks, not raising his eyes from the message:

“My Lord! The Duke of Bosnia, my Liege Bernardin Draskovic, regrets to report that he is unable to respond to his summons! He…”

By this time, Klaus had already crossed the 5 meters separation. He swings his sword with both hands, and strikes the man full in the face with the flat of his blade. The man screams, spitting teeth, as he slides from the saddle, landing heavily in a loud crash.

By the time Dmitar and Alessandro manage to restrain their king, he had already stepped heavily upon the messenger’s throat.

The man’s painful rasp is in the background and Klaus sides, clutching his head in both hands. It appears he had misjudged… the Croatian Ducal rivalries were simply too strong to form a unified host…

Klaus turns, and looks to Dmitar, a lifelong friend, trusted ally, and loyal vassal.

“What now?”

“My Lord…"

There is a leaden pause.
"I do not know.”

The Second Croatian Civil War:
In the end, the choice was fairly well made for Klaus- civil war. To let any vassal, let alone one so powerful as the Duke of Bosnia, reject their Feudal Duty was absolutely unacceptable- let one Duke within a Kingdom take steps on the road to independence, and that Lord will become the focal point of any noble seeking settlement against their Liege Lord- not to mention, would be a violation of Feudal Law, and the Laws of Croatia. War… war never changes.


Date: March 10th, 1075

In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King and Duke of Croatia
Miroslava von Santini, Queen and Steward of Croatia
Dragija Kacic, Marshal of Croatia
Klaus II von Santini, Prince of Croatia
Dmita Zvonimimir von Santini, Duke of Slavornia


The war Council had already run for some 5 hours, breaking only for a meal. The options had been discussed, the logistics debated. It had come to a stalemate- with the conspicuous absence of Count Alessandro – supposedly delayed by unseasonably rainy weather- the council was deadlocked between Klaus and Miroslava, and Dragija and Dmitra.

Argument was cut short, however, by the arrival of a courier, clad in the colors of the Duchy of Dalmatia. The man enters, breathless. His tunic is soaked in sweat, and he stumbles, nearly falling, before dropping to one knee, presenting Klaus with a sealed letter.

“My… my Lord… f… from the Duke… of Dalmatia”

He bows his head, breathing heavily as Klaus slashes the parcel open, and quickly scans through the letter. After perhaps a minute, a smile creases the King’s face, and he tosses the opened letter onto the table.

“It appears that Duke Boris has completed mustering- he has heard wind of the defection of Bosnia, and he wishes to take part in the settlement of this grievance. Additionally…”

He pauses for a moment, looking to both Dmitra, and his beloved Queen.

“Additionally, it appears that he has rejected an offer made by the Count of Ragusa… who is seeking allies with whom to break free of my Rule in the event of an invasion of Bosnia.”

Klaus leans over the table, staring at the map for a moment. He points, to the messenger from Dalmatia:

“For your Liege, word of mouth only: he is to meet with my Queen and Sons, and the garrison of Split, at the Zachiumia fortress. He is to bring with him the entire Dalmatian army, and he shall receive from my wife his action orders.”

He dismisses the man with a wave of his hand, then turns to Dmitra.

“Dmitra, my friend: Assemble your armies, and mass on the Northern border of Bosnia. You are to wait for my orders in a state of absolute readiness.”

Dmitra nods.

“Aye, my lord.”

At last, Klaus turns to his Queen:

“Miro, my love… these will be interesting times. I need you to take the Royal Court south, in the upmost secrecy. You must stay safe, and protect the Succession. When you arrive at Zachiumia, you are to order the assembled Split garrison, and Dalmatian Army against Ragusa. Be safe.”

For a moment, they held hands, then, after the briefest of kisses, they parted, not knowing when or if they’d meet again.

Chp. 8:

Right from the kickoff, Klaus’s plan went wrong.

In the South, execution was flawless: The Queen of Croatia, travelling with the Royal Court and the Army of Split, met with the Duke of Dalmatia and the Dalmatian Army, and after two days of muster, turned south, crossing the border in Ragusa on March 15th, 1075.

Alessandro, not even pretending any sort of innocence, met the Croatian Queen at the city gates, and abdicated his crown and scepter. As a thanks for his non-violence, Miroslava let the treacherous count live, ordered the Ragusa army to assemble, awaiting march orders, and swung the Croat/Damatian army north, heading back to Zachiumia and the Bosnian border.

In the north, however… not so much.
While Klaus was still amassing the remaining three Croatian armies in Senj, Dmitra, perhaps hoping to please his friend and Liege, crossed the Bosnian border early, on March 16th, 1075. By the time news of this event had reached Klaus, the Slavornian army had already engaged the army of Northern Bosnia, and things weren’t looking good.

Hoping to relieve the pressure, Klaus crossed the Bosnian border on March 18th, with only the armies of Senj and Zadar, leaving orders for the Vegila garrison to follow across.

On March 19th, the Army of Slavornia was repulsed. Attempting a pincer maneuver through heavy fog, the right flank found itself lost, while the left blundered right into a Bosnian trap.

Hit from two sides, the left crumbled before the right could arrive. The left flank, militia heavy, collapsed under the charge of 200 Bosnian knights, and Dmitar’s force only barely made it back across the border of Zagreb when the Bosnian force had its flank threatened.

On March 23rd, the Croat Army was also defeated. Initially, the battle went well: Klaus took advantage of his numerical advantage by extending his flank, wrapping around the right of the South Bosnian Army. Before they could press the advantage, however, the North Bosnian Army arrived, from the south, directly behind the Croat left flank.
Having kept his Knights in reserve, his nobles were unable to prevent the nearly instantaneous collapse, and it was only through a brave holding action that the majority of the Army of Croatia managed to escape, to the south, crossing into Zachiumia.

In the absence of an organized Croat Defense, the Bosnian Army crossed into Senj, razing the countryside, and laying siege to the Capital of Croatia.
Had the Croat Empire been toppled, by the foolhardy impatience of one Duke, and the treachery of another?

Chp. 9:
Date: April 2nd, 1075

In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King and Duke of Croatia
Miroslava von Santini, Queen and Steward of Croatia
Dragija Kacic, Marshal of Croatia
Boris Kosaca, Duke of Dalmatia
Klaus II von Santini, Prince of Croatia


Bad news and panicked misinformation had been flowing steadily south, into Zachiuma, the first messengers, deserters and wounded arrive days before the Croat Army, in an ever increasing flow. Miroslava, despite putting on a brave face, was, deep inside, worried sick.

On the 4thof April, the Croat army at last crossed into friendly territory. It had been a difficult fight, and the wear showed, in new lines on the Croatian King’s face. His first action, upon arrival, was to summon a War Council…

“… and so it is confirmed, Duke Dmitar was repulsed, but is unwounded and retains the majority of his forces? This is… unexpectedly good news.”

Klaus leans forward, absentmindedly fingering the bandages at his neck. He looks at the map, tracing the march route of the North and South Bosnian armies, driving deep into Croatia…

… his left eyelid flutters, only for a moment, then his son pips up:

“We’ll show them! We’ll crush this scum, won’t we, daddy?”

Klaus sighs, and strokes an eyebrow.

“With the whole of the Bosnian army between us and Slavornia, communication and coordination is impossible. I do not think we can deal with the Bosnian forces in the field, should they pick a good defensive position. However, I suspect they too would be unable fight us from defensive positions.”

He leans forward, and taps the map.

“I suspect, once they’ve captured Senj, they will continue to provoke, seeking a battle on their terms, one that I will not grant them. They will undoubtedly turn north, to strike at my home city, Vegila.”

He traces a finger, from Zachiuia to Usora:

“And so, we will go north. We have more territories than them, and we can capture both Usora, and Krizevci. Somewhere in their territory, we will find the Bosnian royal court, and with it, the leverage we need to force Duke Bernardin to abdicate…”


The next, and final, year of the Second Croatian Civil War was terrible indeed.

The Croat/Dalmatian force swung into Bosnia, laying siege to Usora. Meanwhile, the Bosnian armies, split, one ransacking Senj, which fell on the 15th of January, 1076, the other, heading into Vegila, which was besieged on 8th of February.

Meanwhile, having learned of the events at Usora, Duke Dimitar lead the Slavornian army across the border, besieging Zachiuia.
Zachiuia fell some time in May, Vegila, on the 24th of June, and Usora on the 4th of July, 1075.

When Klaus crossed back into Senj, to face the Bosnian Army, it was with the forces of Dalmatia, Slavornia, and Ragusa at his side, leaving in his wake a razed, looted and ransacked Bosnia.

Chp. 10:
When Klaus’s forces reached the border, they found the entirety of the Bosnian Army, with Duke Bernardin at its head. The Bosnian force was outnumbered, nearly 3 to 1, and Klaus had a trick up his sleeve…

As is Croatian custom, the leaders of both forces met in contested territory, for a chat before the battle, to set terms…


Date: July 23rd, 1075
In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King and Duke of Croatia
Bernardin Draskovik, Duke of Bosnia


Under the sweltering heat and beating sun, both men advanced, arms out and open, scabbard empty.

Klaus stared silently, his face expressionless, at the sweating face of his former vassal. After perhaps a minute of silence, he gestured to a tent.

Both men entered, and the Duke noticed immediately a foul, almost sweet odor clotting the air.

Klaus reached for the corner of the cloth covering a table in the center of the tent, and quickly yanked it free.

Bernadin’s flinching terror quickly turned to absolute horror, then furious anger:

On the table lay three rotting heads:

The first head: Bogoris Frangepan- Marshall of Bosnia
The second: Borna Kacic- Spymaster of Bosnia
The Last: Berengaria Draskovik- the formerly pregnant Duchess of Bosnia

Bernadin’s hand clutched at his empty scabbard, before he instead began to advance on Klaus, stuttering, tears pouring down his face.

Klaus sneered, and held aloft a hand, halting the Duke:

“Before you act rashly… know this: I also have your children. That is to say, most of them, and, in some cases, more than just their heads…”


Unsurprisingly, the Duke of Bosnia crumbled. His armies disbanded, his children were given to the Monastic Order, and Bernadin himself met his end, neck upon a block, taking three messy, botched blows from an axe. His head was hung above the gates of Urosra, where it remained for months.

The former territories of the Duchy of Bosnia were split. Krizevci, the territory spared the worst of the raiding and pillage, was made a part of the Duchy of Croatia. Usora, the ruined city and ravaged territory, was made an independent County, and Karl von Santini, distant relation of the King, was given the difficult task of overseeing the restoration.
On January 1st, 1077, the last of the Bosnian Court was executed, and the Civil War declared over. From his throne, a glum King sat, once more considering his dreams of a Balkan Empire.

Chp. 11:

Date: January 5th, 1077

In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King and Duke of Croatia
Miroslava von Santini, Queen and Steward of Croatia
Dmitar Zvonimimir von Santini, Duke of Slavornia
Boris Kosaca, Duke of Dalmatia
Karl von Santini, Count of Ursaro
Klaus II von Santini, Prince of Croatia

Where once was a round table, now sits a rectangular one. At its head, sits Klaus von Santini. To his right, Duke of Slavornia, then the Count of Ursaro, then the Prince of Croatia. To his left, Queen Miroslava, and the Duke of Dalmatia. The subject is the Kingdom of Hungary, and Duke Boris is speaking…

“… and so, my Lord, it appears that the cornerstone of your father’s Hungarian alliance was, in fact, the marriage between the former Duke of Bosnia, and the Hungarian King’s illegitimate daughter…”

Boris looks about the table, rather a bit unsettled. Klaus speaks:

“Hmmm… thus the hardening of the northern border…”

He pauses, thinking.

“The Hungarians are simply too powerful to risk offending in this way. As soon as possible, we will need seek a marriage… between one of my daughters… or perhaps my first son.”

Klaus II starts to open his mouth, but is silenced with a glance from his mother. Klaus continues.

“And so, onto internal business. Dmitar, you shall receive thanks for your service, as shall you, Boris. Five years without scutage is ample thanks, yet I cannot help but feel that I owe you more for your loyalties, friend Dmitar…”

He leans forward, and taps the map.

“The region of Krizevci… would make your demense complete your Ducal Titles, correct?”

Dmitar, face shining, nods, holding his breath…

“Give me two years. It appears our former Bosnia Duke was… prolific in the region, leaving me an army of bastards and potential claimants to capture. When this has been completed, this region shall be yours.”

He turns, to Boris:

“Boris… I cannot help but feel that your tardy mobilization was, in fact, a provocation against Duke Bernardin…”

Boris starts, and begins to protest his innocence, but Klaus continues over the top of him:

“However, I understand. The interlocking Duchy system was unsustainable in a time of war, simply put, and a hasty solution to a complex problem. I offer you no lands, but I do offer you my forgiveness, and a promise: the title of Bosnia shall remain in my hands, not to be granted to another Duke.”

“Thank you, my Lord.”

Klaus looks once around the room:

“Lords. We shall take this year to rebuild, both internally, and externally. When we meet again, one year hence, I hope to hear news of stability and renewed prosperity. My Lords, a toast…”

Glasses are raised, and smiling faces conceal a round of doubts.

Chp 12:

A famed English historian was heard to remark:
“’The Years of Peace’ thy call it, the Peoples Commission of Glorious Croat History… and I agree. The Years of Pieces… pieces of the Draskovik family, torn a gibbeted in Northern Bosnia, pieces of the von Santini family, whored out to Hungarians, Venetians, and worse… and yes, even pieces of Turnu tribal’s, scattered over the frost grounds of eastern ‘Hungary’ by merciless Jutland mercenaries. Years of Pieces, indeed.”

As anticipated in the Second Council of Split, 1077-1079 were years of rebuilding.

In diplomatic events, to the King of Hungary was sent one daughter, to a Duke of Venice, another. From the Holy Roman Emperor, an exchange was made: 200 Ducats, nearly half the Croat treasury, for diplomatic expertise.

The expertise came in the form of a minister by the name of Tanja, a brilliant master of the German politick- an advisor ready to provide just what Klaus needed- advice in the management of his vassals, and, perhaps later, the management of his Empire to be.

Her words proved invaluable.
When the Kingdom of Hungary found itself in a border dispute with the Chieftain of Turnu, Klaus sent aid: the Army of Split, led by his new Martial, and a body of Jutland mercenaries. The purpose was multifaceted:

Klaus was, to put it lightly… disappointed in the performance of Croatian arms. The forces of the Croat Kingdom proved able in siege, and blackmail, but in both field engagements, Croat forces were soundly beaten by Bosnian armies. Poor timing and bad luck played their part, but Klaus also felt that the Bosnian combined arms approach gave them a combat edge more than sufficient to overcome their numerical disadvantage. In sending the new Marshal of Croatia, in command of a combined arms multinational force, Klaus expected Croat armed forces to gain valuable experience, at little cost in blood.

But, additionally, in committing to the fight, and issuing forces immediately, Klaus had patched up relationships with Hungary, sufficient to last until one of his children was of the age to marry.

When Klaus found himself unable to determine the boundaries of his vassals’ demense, Tanja again came to the rescue: the value of a reward is lost immediately after it is dispensed. Rather than deciding the issue of territorial boundaries now, Klaus would wait- the territories could be dispersed in a time of crisis, to those vassals that showed the greatest loyalty, and the greatest of ability.

And finally, it was Tanja’s advice that determined the future face of the Croat Empire:

Small demense, headed up by the most loyal of vassals, or family members, with Ducal Rights stretching over a smaller collection of less loyal or able Counts.

On January 5th, 1079, the Lords of Croatia meet once more, to discuss the possibility of an attack on Serbia…

Chp. 13:
The Council of Zagreb, viewed by many modern historians as a major turning point in Balkan history, was the Fourth Council of the reign of Klaus von Santini, King of Croatia, Duke of Bosnia, Duke of Croatia. Unlike the earlier Councils, this was the first conducted outside the boundaries of the Croat Duchy, specifically an honor bestowed upon Duke Dmitar, in recognition of his performance and loyalty.

It also, however, gave Klaus the chance to communicate in private with his Dukes, away from the established spy networks of the Duchy of Rashka, and the Prince of Vidin.

Date: January 6th, 1079

In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King and Duke of Croatia
Dmitar Zvonimimir von Santini, Duke of Slavornia
Boris Kosaca, Duke of Dalmatia
Karl von Santini, Count of Ursaro
Klaus II von Santini, Prince of Croatia

All five men sat equidistant about and round table. In front of them lay the ravaged remains of the luncheon meal, and each had imbibed a considerable deal. All, however, with the possible exception of Duke Boris, retained a remarkable degree of sobriety regardless. Klaus was speaking, clad in the mail he swore to wear until the day Serbia was his:

“… and so, in summary: to the North, relations with the Venitian Duchies, and the Holy Roman Empire, have continued to improve- and to the West, once more we see eye to eye with the Hungarian King. It is, therefore, time to once more turn our eyes towards the south, to the territories of Serbia.”

For a quick moment, his eyes flash about the room, watching for even the slightest hint of discord.

“This will be no easy fight. The Duke of Raskha, ever an able man, has used our distraction to subvert yet another Count to his fief. It is for that reason that, rather then reissuing the former, limited summons to arms, I am here by issuing a general call to arms. By the 10th of March, I require that you all have your forces at arms and positioned as follows:”

“Dmitar: The army of Slavornia is to be assembled at Krizevci. Boris, the Army of Dalmatia is to be assembled at Rama. Karl, assemble the Usora garrison, and assemble with Croat forces at Zachlumia.”

Klaus unfolds a map onto the table… a map of Serbia.

On it was drawn:

Chp. 14:
In the words of the famed Slavic poet, Djvitar Crotwitz, the cripple survivor of the Battle for Zeta, monastic genius and outspoken priest critic of the Croatian rule of Serbia:

“They fell upon us as if a flock of demons… bearded, bellowing men, teeth exposed in the rictus, grimace of hate, they swung flashing, bloodstained blades nock'd from the skulls of my fallen comrades… they laughed as they struck, severing limbs, smashing faces and bones… severing the proud youth of Zeta limb from limb. Their massed formation, a herd of red eyed frothing warhorses 20 hands in height, smashed into our packed ranks, and heads were seen to literally sale into the air, as if a scythe striking wheat… I ran, ran as I have never before, as the diseased, lank haired Croat militia fell upon our women, children and homes as if a flock of locusts… it was as if the very Gates of Hell had disbarred, and vomited forth a wave of pure Slavic fury…”

Modern historians today agree that the Second Croat Civil War, while at the time considered the gravest of mishaps inflicted upon the Croatian peoples, was, in fact, the proving grounds of the Croat knighthood. When they crossed the Croat border into Serbia, they smashed into Serbian forces as if seeking retribution for their poor performance in Bosnia.

The two years between the end of the Second Civil War and the beginning of the Invasion of Independent Serbia hadn’t been spent ideally, either. New armor, better breeds of horse, sharper, longer blades and better drilled spear infantry all combined under a vastly improved command corps in a deadly synergy.

The exact chronology of the Serbian War is muffled- rendered indecipherable by innumerable accounts from all sides involved, and some not present. What is known, however, follows…

Chp. 15:

… and so, having been steeped the in the lore of Croatian ineptitude, of belong to a reputed “siege army,” the Croat army emerged from the Bosnian conflict and plunged into Serbia with a distinct, and somewhat fostered inferiority complex. The Croat Army in 1079 was almost entirely reformed from the forces of 1075, yet it still bore the same fears and unit memories…

The Croatian battlefield playbook could be most easily divided up into three successive battlefield tactics: the early (Belgrad, Hum, Vidin), middle (Naissus, Rashka) and the late (Zeta and the Greek territories). The chief tactical lesson learned in Bosnia was actually fairly simple: if you can separate the elements within an army, you can defeat portions in detail to put the rest to flight. As such, the Croat Army entered Serbia with two distinct battle plans, the initial, and then one made specifically to counter the response to the first.

The Battle of Belgrade was a textbook example of the Early Croat battle style:
When nearly 8,000 Croat soldiers, under the command of the King himself, poured across the border, the Belgrade response was predictable: they holed up within a series of defensive hill forts, positioned to over watch the local fiefs. The Croat response, however, was unusual: holding the majority of his Knights and Men at Arms in concealed reserve, Klaus set loose a ravaging horde of light infantry, militia, archers and mercenaries, who immediately set about the local fiefs, butchering serfs, trampling crops, and setting housing alight.

No knight worth his salt would have let such an insult pass, and it was inevitable that they would come rushing out, accompanied by their garrison and Men at Arms. The key to the early Croat victories was simple: separate the Knights from the infantry then put the infantry to flight.

As the Belgrade forces came rushing down the hill, the Croat light forces would immediately begin to skirmish and withdrawal. Extending the gap between the Belgrade cavalry and infantry, once the gap had widened to nearly 200 yards, the Croat Men at Arms and Knighthood made their presence known, and the trailing Belgrade infantry was caught between the two, as if a hammer and anvil.

The exact timing was unknown, but according to several eyewitness accounts, the Belgrade infantry forces broke immediately, and the mass of mounted Knights, watching helplessly as their garrison was trampled underfoot, turned to flee, heading for Vidin.

At Belgrade, the back of Serbian morale was broken in one battle. A desperate skirmishing rear guard action quickly turned into a route as the most mobile elements of the Croat forces gave pursuit, while at fortress Belgrade, Croatian irregulars and mercenaries began the process of digging the siege lines.

Hum followed the same pattern: Serbian knights were drawn off the line and mired in light infantry, then the main Serb host pinned and slaughtered between Men at Arms and Croat Knights. The result…

The Battle of Belgrade, March 15th, 1079: Crushing Croat Victory
The Battle of Hum, March 22nd, 1079: Crushing Croat Victory

By early April, the disheveled, starving and panicked host of Belgrade had reached Vidin. Under any other circumstances, the arrival of so large a host would have been a boon to the defenders. Instead, panic and disease, and 3,000 extra mouths to feed, fell upon the forces of Vidin like locusts.

The Battle of Vidin was a travesty.
Sensing the atmosphere of panic, Klaus, without even forming his infantry host, deployed his Knights forward, and the thundering hooves of 600 heavily armored Croatians put the majority of the Vidin/Belgrade forces to flight. At the gates of Vidin, the only true Knight on Knight conflict between Croats and Serbs of the entire Serbian War.

It is said that the collision could be heard all the way in split- a blatant exaggeration, but it captures well the scale: 600 Croat Knights, lead by the King and the Duke of Dalmatia, smashed into some 350 Serbian Knights and the Prince of Vidin, and 300 Serb and Militia light cavalry.

Before the sides even met, the clash had been decided: the Serbian light cavalry, and, it is said, a number of the Serbian Knights, began to turn away in cowardice, and when the hosts collided, the Army of Vidin was crushed underfoot.

It would have been perhaps the greatest Croat victory since the founding, but for one fact: beneath the heaped piles of broken men, shattered armor and panicked horses, lay the pathetic crushed corpse of Boris, Duke of Dalmatia, head and helm stove in by Serbian warhammer.

Chp. 17:

… for that reason, the delay caused by the burial rights of Duke Boris actually served the Croat cause: the two week delay allowed all manner of terrified refugees, wounded soldiery, and broken Serb Nobles to stream south, seeking refuge at the Zeta, Rashka and Naissus citadels, pursued by harrying irregular cavalry mounted on “liberated” Serbian horse stock, and spreading all manner of panic and disorder…

When the offensive resumed, it was a dual strike aimed at Rashka and Naissus, two garrisons by now well informed on the Croat battle tactics. And so, the second Croat tactical battleplan was unleashed…

At Rashka, the combined Serbian garrison, bolstered by survivors from the battle of Hum and Belgrade, met the Croat onslaught with a completely new formation: Serb light infantry, spearmen and archers were pushed forward, to skirmish with the anticipated Croat infantry raiders. What they met instead was a pincher movement, by two bodies of mixed Croatian Knights and Light/Mercenary Cavalry- an unexpected massive charge that quickly put the main Serbian infantry force into flight.

The Serb Knights and Nobles watched in growing horror from their hilltop perch, and, in the end, it was the Count of Rashka that ordered the retreat: south west, to Zeta- the grave of the Independent Serbian resistance…

At Naissus, the battle went similarly: the Serbian infantry host sat with orders to hold, at the base between two hills, and was peppered for hours on end by Croat archers and mercenary crossbowmen, before a Croatian cavalry feint set them to flight. At Naissus, however, the Knights and Nobles chose to instead make for their hill fort, to accept siege and await relief from Zeta. That relief, however, was never to come…

The Battle for Zeta is perhaps the most famous, or infamous, battle of the Serbian Conflict- attended by the majority of the surviving Serbian nobility, the combat Nobles of Croatia, and even Djvitar Crotwitz, Serbia’s famous Monk/Poet.

In Zeta, the initial conflict was much like the Battle of Belgrade: Croat irregulars began a protracted process of razing the undefended Serbian fiefs. There were, however, a few key differences: firstly, Zeta was the largest battle of the entire conflict. Where as Belgrade saw 8,000 Croats facing off with 6,000 Serbs, at Zeta, 17,000 Croatian soldiers faced 22,000 Serbians (At that time, the largest host ever assembled under one commander in the Balkans).

The Serbian forces, while nearly half militia and skirmishers, never-the-less contained nearly all the surviving Serb knights not holed up at Belgrade- nearly a thousand of Serbia’s finest, banded together for the first, and perhaps last time, in Serbian history. Opposite, a force mostly heavy infantry, archers and irregulars, with some 900 Croat Knights and Nobles.

Additionally, however, the Croat forces deployed in a conventional mixed line formation, a classic to any student of the period. It was for that reason that the Duke of Rashka made his fateful choice: his heavy cavalry were to charge, and his infantry body was to follow.

It must have been a glorious sight: Almost a thousand of Serbia’s finest, charging in a glittering, glinting mass, swords aloft and bellowing Serb defiance and independence.

What they charged into, however, was a nightmare. The abandoned tilled fields had been flooded painstakingly for weeks before hand, creating a sea of mud 3 to 5 feet deep. Quickly the majority of the Serbian heavy cavalry found itself absolutely bogged, defenseless against the horde of lightly armed and armored Croat infantry that waded in, dismounting, stabbing, drowning and dismembering their helpless armored foes.

Meanwhile, the Croat cavalry had gathered, and swept to the left, up and down a hillside, into the panicking Serbian infantry and militia. Before them, they had seen their Nobility slaughtered- Noble Serb blood flowed so freely it is said the mud itself grew dark red and sticky- and suddenly, from their right flank, 900 howling Knights clad in mail and swinging the sharpest of blades descended upon them.

The Serbs broke, and the survivors put under hot pursuit, right up to the gates of Zeta itself. All said and done, some 6,000 Croat and Serbian dead lay in the tilled fields and deep mud, a feast for the massive murder of crows that had come to follow the Croatian army.

The last remaining hope for Serbia, the independent orthodox Greek duchy to the south, was the next subject of Klaus von Santini’s loving attention.


Chp. 18:

… the battle for the Greek Duchy was therefore a foregone conclusion- with Hungarian forces pouring in from the north, and the unbeaten Croat forces crossing the border in masse, it is probable that the Orthodox Greeks had come to regret their decision to support their Serbian brother’s in arms. At Orcris, the only battle between Greek and Croatian forces took place, between a 6,000 strong Croat host under the King’s command, against 8,000 Greeks in the service of their Duchess…

The lull before the battle was a dismal forecast for the events of the clash: in pouring rain and howling winds, a pile 3 meters high of Serbian arms, livery and severed heads was formed, then fitfully set alight. Against the sickly sweet reek of burning flesh, the Croat forces assembled atop a massive hill, then, at the wave of a sword, charged downhill at breakneck speed.

In the end, Greek morale broke before the charge could even reach home, and when the Croat forces crashed into the Greeks, it was into the back of panicking, fleeing forces. Supposedly safe in her cliff top vigil, Ilyonia, Duchess of Dieocla, was set upon and captured by a swarm of dismounted Croatian Knights who had cleverly infiltrated to within shouting distance of the idiot Greek Noble.

With the end of offensive operations, the siege phase began, the breaking of Greek and Serbian will…


The Croat Nobles at Arms had learned more than just the art of combined arms in the Bosnian War- they had also learned the art of Siege. This art was applied, with much embellishment, at the 9 different sieges of the War of the Serbian Kingdom, and though each siege was unique, one element was held in common: psychological warfare.

The first three sieges were undoubtedly among the most terrible: at Hum, Belgrade and Vidin. It was felt amongst the Croatian commanders that it was important to begin a morale shockwave early on, one that would swell and help bring about the quick surrender of the remaining Greek and Serbian fortresses.

At Hum, there is the first recorded instance of biological warfare:
The corpses of rotting cattle and goats, serfs and tenets, and eventually, dismembered Serbian Knights and Nobles were hurled over the walls, with the two wells within the hill fort the primary target. The siege ended, after three months, on July 23rd, 1079, five days after a lucky shot managed toss a good portion of a Serbian Knight, mail and all, down the south well and into the aquifer, quickly putrefying the only water source available to the Serb defenders.

Belgrade, with its covered wells and ample foodstuffs, managed hold longer, for nearly 6 months. At Belgrade, several sallys were repulsed, and two relief efforts, before the Croat forces brought in captured Nobles from the fallen fortress of Hum. It was simply a matter of disemboweling the correct captives before they reached Kalyusha, daughter of the Duke of Belgrade, and the gates were opened.

The Siege of Vidin was a separate matter entirely. Having finished burying his friend and vassal, Boris, the Duke of Dalmatia, Klaus ordered that the Vidin garrison would not, in fact, be permitted to surrender. After 14 months of siege, the last of the defenders, with a bellies full of human flesh, finally set their blades upon one another, and the fortress fell.

Rashka surrendered, willingly, after only a month of siege, having heard the outcome of first the Battle of Naisuss, and the Battle of Zeta. Naisuss itself fell when the Croat siege force successfully set the fortress alight… as the panicked Serbs fled downhill, they were met with cold, merciless Croatian Siege.

At Zeta, it was a plague that ended the siege, thought to have been brought about by 2,000 rotting Serbs disinterred from the mud slurry and flung into the city.

In the Greek Duchy, both cities, having learned of the events in Serbia proper, surrendered fairly promptly.

On February 7th, the last defenders of Vidin had perished, and all Serbia lay in Klaus’s control. He held in his hands the promise of a Balkan Empire… and nothing was going to pry it from him.

Chp. 19:
Now that all Serbia lay within his clutches, how was it to be ruled? How could so large a body of angry, Orthodox Serbs be controlled by so few, war-weary, Catholic Croats? The threat was multifaceted, but distinct: those within, and those without.

From within, the problem was simple: Count Karl and Duke Dmitar were both absolutely trustworthy. But the new Duke of Dalmatia? The boy was only 8, and therefore easy prey to unscrupulous court advisors… and then there was the simple matter of territory. The Croatian Kingdom, now an Empire, had more than doubled in size in a single year.

Even were the peasantry within the new territory to be perfectly behaved, the new Croat rulers would never be. A balanced dispersion and division of this territory was necessary, and none of the King’s son were of age…

The biggest difficulty, however, was external to the Croat court: the Serbian Orthodox population of the newly acquired provinces. And so, before the final Serbian fortress had even falling, Klaus set in motion the pacification of Serbia.

Retaining a Serbian nobility was out of the question- even had they converted to Catholicism, and sworn service to the King of Croatia, a class of Serbs with rights of mobility would not be permitted, as said mobile Serbs would be able to spread dissent, and ferment rebellion.

The female half of the former Serbian nobility were reduced to serfs, and sold to Catholic Serbs swearing service to the King. The males… were not so fortunate. For them, an unthinkable fate awaited, beneath the stones of the now Croat fortifications.

Serbian literature and even literacy was forbidden. Serbian texts were gathered and burnt, and the infant intellectual class was put to the sword. Orthodox churches were destroyed, and Croatian Catholic establishments built from the ruins.

A policy of “Bez Prstiju” (Without finger) was then instilled. The policy was simple: every Serbian male, between the ages of 15 and 45, was made to swear allegiance to Croatian rule, and to adopt the tenets of Catholicism. Any man could choose to refuse… at the cost of the first finger of the right hand, thereby preventing the wielding of a sword or pen. Understandably a considerable portion chose conversion, but likewise, a goodly percentage chose independence. These men were added to a roster, and their families were to suffer the consequences for decades to come.

Catholic Serbs, all too happy to serve their new rulers, were given unquestioned power over their Orthodox neighbors, and ethnic/religious violence ran rampant. It was noted by a somewhat puzzled Croat commander that the worst atrocities seemed to occur in the regions with the smallest Catholic populations- in fact, 3 survivors of an Italian shipwreck came to witness just such an action, at the border of Zeta, one that all confessed to their Priests on their death beds…

“… and so, painfully, we made our way up the shore in this unfamiliar local… after foraging with little success, we instead chose to struggle our way inland, seeking Christian aid… …and at a distance, we began to faintly hear a most terrible dirge, a ghostly wailing. And so we chose to cautiously make our way to the top of the hill, to the fringe of the woods, where we saw a most terrible sight:”

“An assembled mass of the most miserable figures it has ever been my misfortune to witness were clumped, huddled, as if seeking warmth, at the fringes of a village set powerfully alight… at their fringes, like wild dogs, circled ill clad men upon horse, armed with rusted weapons… at intervals, a single figure was drug from the group, and each time that same sad wail was cast up…”

“… the man was made to trample upon vestments of some sort, then made to kneel before an erected cross, and kiss the ring on the fingers of a desiccated, severed hand (believed to be that of the Duke of Dalmatia, although how it found its way into the hands of Serbian Catholic Irregulars is unknown)… after which the man was released, and too released his family from the miserable huddle… sobbing, they slowly wound their way past the base of our hill, and into the forest…”

“However, before our eyes, one man refused… and then another… quickly, a shouting sprang up, and a swirling melee began at the edge of the crowd… it was then that the wardogs were released, set upon man, woman and child alike, and thereafter the men ahorse charged, into the crowd… before our very eyes, hundreds were slaughtered, and those that fled… were also set upon by the dogs… when the armed men began to wade through the pile, stabbing any that dare stir… we turned, and ran, ran for our lives, for the southern border…”

The worst excesses of the pacification were kept secret, or nearly so. While the violence continued, month after month, Klaus carefully kept the Croatian nobility locked in council session… and it was only when the cleanup had concluded, sometime in August, 1080, that the ruling structure began to be put in place.


Chp. 20:
Date: September 13th, 1080

In Attendance:
Klaus von Santini, King Croatia and Serbia
Miroslava von Santini, Queen and Steward of Croatia
Dmitar Zvonimimir von Santini, Duke of Slavonia
Karl von Santini, Count of Ursaro
Klaus II von Santini, Prince of Croatia
Karl II von Santini, Prince of Croatia
Doroteja Kosaca, Widow of Boris Kosaca, Former Duke of Dalmatia, Steward of Branimir Kosaca, Child Duke of Dalmatia

At the head of the Council Table, Klaus sits, a map of his Balkan Empire spread before him.
He is still, his eyes only half open, sunk deep within blackened sockets on his waxen and stubbled face. For a man at newfound peaks of power, he seems strangly wrought…
He speaks:
“My Lords… the pacification of all Serbia is complete. The peasant uprisings in Zeta and Hum have been crushed, and 2/3rds of the populace has sworn allegiance to this Council and the Pope. The time has come then, to determine the governship of the newly formed Serbian Empire…”

He pulls free from its hilt a jeweled dagger, and seizes an edge of the map. In two deft strokes, he frees a large section of the north west… all Slavonia, and Bosnia, including Rama, capital of the Dalmatian capital, are included…

This piece is handed to his right, to Dmitar, Duke of Slavonia. There is an audible release of breath, and Doroteja, Steward of Dalmatia, is heard to gasp.

“Duke Dmitar: these are hereby of you Demense. In addition to the Ducal rights of Slavonia, you may add the Duke of Bosnia to your titles. May you serve, ever loyal.”

Doroteja beings to speak:
“My Lord! Rama is our cap…”

She quails, and is silent under the glare of her King. Dmitar speaks:

“Thank you, my lord.”

The westernmost portion of the map, Belgrade, Vidin and Niaussia, is then cut free. Klaus hands this piece to his left, to Karl, Count of Uraso:

“Karl. In exchange for the title to Uraso, I give you this, and more: the title of Prince of Vidin.”

Karl nods:

“Thank you, my lord.”

The southern edge of the map is then sawn free, the Greek Duchy of Dioclea. This he hands to his left, to his Queen, Miroslava.

“Miro, my love… Duchess of Dioclea.”

Excitement and worry both flash across her face, and then she smiles, and accepts the piece with a nod.

Finally, the center section is cut free. This piece Klaus toys with, watching the Dalmatian Steward sweat.

At last, this piece he turns over to Doroteja.

“Doroteja, I grieve for your loss. Your husband was a true friend. This, for your son.”

Doroteja looks fit to cry, as she accepts the piece, which she folds, and places in her pocket.

Klaus looks about the room:
Two smiling Dukes, a fretful Duchess, and a terrified Steward. At last, he gives a curt nod to Karl, who stands and retrieves a heavy, iron bound oak chest.

Klaus also stands, and faces the room.

“My lords: there is another purpose for your presence: my coronation.”

From the box is drawn a massive, thick crown: the golden Crown of Croatia, intertwined with the silver Crown of Serbia.

“As God is my witness: on this day, I do on this day declare the creation of the Balkan Empire. May all those present also witness this fact, and swear their allegiance here and now to myself, Emperor of the Balkans.”

The shocked silence is broken immediately, as the Crown of the Balkans is places upon Klaus’s head- the scraping of wooden chair leg upon stone, as all present stand, and bow to their new Emperor.

Klaus raises his sword, and smiles- a ghastly, terrible smile.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Chp. 20:
The 1081 Council, in light of the prevailing ground level situation in Croat held Serbia, was canceled. In its place, a vast feast was held, in the Capital, at Senj. Every Croat noblel worth his name was invited, and nearly all attended… on the third day, as the activities wound down, Klaus sat, alone, in the main hall…


Klaus sits, looking drained. He rests his chin in the palm of his hand, and gazes, sadly, at the empty, mess strewn tables about him. He is deep in thought…

To his left, a curtain stirs, and quiet, feminine footsteps are heard, as Miroslaval, Queen of Croatia and Serbia, makes her way up the hall.

“My Lord… are you feeling alright?”

Klaus looks up, his reverie broken. He smiles, a slight, sickly smile.

“Miro, my love…”

He turns, to look at the room once more.

“I had hoped… …I had hoped that more of us would still be here…”

He waves his free hand vaguely about the room:

“Dragija… dismissed after Bosnia… dead of age… or shame. Alessandro… a goddam traitor… Bernardin, a rebel… and Boris… dear Boris… struck down at Vidin. I could have saved him, I just know it… I cannot even look into his child’s face…”

As a tear begins to form, his wife, the beautiful Miro, pushes aside his arm, and squirms her way into his lap. They both sit, silently, in the throne. After a moment, Klaus begins to comb through her hair, stopping to lightly smell it…

“My Klausy… do you remember the last time we sat like this?”

Klaus grins.

“Your horse had lamed, had it not? Your father was so furious when we returned.”

Miroslava turns slightly, to place a kiss upon her King’s brow. In the darkened room, her pupils are immense…

“And he hadn’t even learnt of our Neda yet…”
“As I recall, neither had we…”
“I suppose then, we are lucky… lucky your father was such a powerhungry man…”

The two are silent, intertwined upon the Throne of the Balkan Empire. Slowly, gently, Miro removes his crown.

“Miro, my love… perhaps we should inspect the gardens… perhaps pick some flowers together…”

Miro blushes.

“My Lord, it is winter…”


With calloused fingers, Klaus nips at her rear, and she giggles and jolts.

“I’m sure we can find flowers somewhere…”

Giggling more, Miro leaps to her feet.

“But my Lord, the hoarfrost!”

“I suppose we’ll simply have to melt it!”

Giggling, Miro flee’s the room, Klaus in hot pursuit…



Branimar Kosaca, the Child Duke of Dalmatia, awakens, screaming, from yet another nightmare… he sits upright in bed, panting and sweating… praying for morn…

And yet, he can still hear it… the tormented wail of the hell burnt sinner…

Swiftly, he garbs, then rushes out into the corridor, and then down, his thin, elven form sailing down two spiral flights… at last, he is at the source- the Main Hall. At the door, huddled of servants are gathered, worry etched on their faces. The Child Duke, hearing not the protestations, presses past, and enters.

There he finds the Steward of Dalmatia, his mother, in arrears. She is wailing none to quietly, and tears are streaming down her aging face.

Branimar, at a loss, rushes to his mother, and casts himself upon her.

“Mother, it will be alright! Mother, stop crying! Is it the feast? We need not feast in Senj, we can hold our own!”

Steward Doroteja roughly stands and casts the boy off, sending him crashing into chairs and table:

“FEAST! WITH WHO? THESE SERB…. SERBIAN ANIMALS?”

She lofts up an immense glass bowl, and brings it down in a swift arch, shattering it entirely. She turns, and points a shaking finger:

“YOUR FATHER WOULD NEVER HAVE STOOD FOR THIS, YOU LITTLE SHITE! DO YOU NOT SEE YOUR DUCHY CRUMBLE? WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?”

She has seized her child by the front of his tunic, lifting his tear streaked face to the level of her own, and blasts it with wine reeking breath:

"Mu... mother... please..."

“WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?”

She throws him to the ground, and as he scrabbles, squealing in terror, places a powerful kick to his young haunches. He slips, in the spilled wine, and slides, head first, into a bolted table leg.

Doroteja flips a table, and strides out, screaming, leaving her unconscious ward lying, face down, amidst the shatter glass and spilled food.

Chp. 21:
They offered me money- I turned them down.

Money for what? My dead child’s inheritance? The dowry for my inedible violated sister? A tombstone for my father, his corpse unburied in the fields of Zeta?

No. Never. I need only blood.

I race through the dark, navigating the twisting streets of Senj with ease, a rat in a sewer. I loft gracefully over the moat, a bird of prey. With one swing my grapple bites deep… only moments later I scurry ‘crost the rooftops, a cat seeking mice. With deft sure fingers, I scale the keep wall, a dark arboreal rodent.

I am in… a shadow, the pike in the pond.

A left, a right, a left, the trained bear at the zoo. I am here- I am Zlodz, the last true Serb.

What is this? A guard, only one? Oh yesss… hunt the clatter of my pebble… I am upon yee!

Croat blood pours from my knife, and I saw, I saw, I have hit his spine!

A rub of warmed cheese, and the hinges speak not as I open the door. Swiftly, I am in, softly stepping for the bed.

Hark! What is this odor, like that of the skunk?

He leaps from the dark! It is a Hashshashin! What is this foul arab doing, so far from home?

I parry, then thrust, than parry again! First, this Muslim, then the foul tyrant!


Klaus awakens with a jolt, to the clatter of steel! Hands muddled by sleep, regardless they seize the blade, and he is upon his feet with a bellow.

Before him, two men circle, one, clad in black, wields a wicked crescent blade, the other, in furs and hardened leather, a short sword. They are swift, but Klaus is swifter:

He leaps, seizing the smaller man, in black, by the neck; he struggles, wildly stabbing for the face. Klaus thrusts him upon the outstretched blade of the man in leather… there is a gasp, then a gurgle, as the blade pierces first skin, then sternum.

The leather clad man struggles to free his blade, but he is too late- Klaus is upon him, screaming with rage, tackling him to the ground!

Once, twice, thrice, the man’s head is slammed into the stone flooring, before at last he releases his grip, and goes limp… two more brutal thrusts, and Klaus is upon his feet, shouting for Guards. He sits, on the edge of his bed, panting and sweating… he mops his brow, and prods the Serb with his toe.


I am the last true Serb- the one to strike the blow for the Orthodox. I am a man, of pride, of power…

My neck is placed upon the block, and the axe hisses towards me… it cannot end like this! It musn’t! My sister... my children... my fa...


Yet it does.

Chp. 22:
October 28th, 1094:
Years of maneuver and feverish dream had brought Klaus to that point… that place, atop the hill, with his personal guard. Before him, a dense crescent of Croat, Serbian and Bulgarian infantry was pressing hard against a thin stretched line of Byzantine infantry, the last survivors of their ill fated voyage from Turkey. Squinting into the distance, through eyes only now beginning to dim with age, he could make out a trickle of reinforcements, dribs and drabs evidently intended to hold up his own infantry, but for what purpose? This river had several fords, and the Hungarian skirmishers had all mostly fled- clearly, these Byzantine infantrymen expected reinforcement…

Klaus leapt astride his horse, buttoning down his battered helmet, and pausing to adjust his armor- the new plate system, while extremely protective, also shifted out of position far too easy. He cantered his horse to the top of the ridge, and wiped the sweat from his brow. The Byzantine cavalry reserve- whichever side of the ford it was hidden- was sure to consist of the best armored and hardest hitting cavalrymen in the east- and the outnumbered Croat nobles had only one chance to deflect it.

Below, the battle picked up in intensity, clashing and screaming echoing up the hill, as the Orthodox infantry desperately closed a gap in their lines. Klaus sighed, and then leaned off the side of his horse, collecting a hand full of leaves. He threw them up into the air, and tracked their flight.

“Left it is then.”


Croatian Expansion of the late 11th Century:

When Klaus von Santini, first King of Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, was struck dead outside the gates of Adrininoples, what had been an in depth operation aimed at the capture of Macedonia and Greece, instead dissolved into disjointed warfare, followed by a hasty peace.

The plan had been ingenious: the Byzantine flank would be turned, then Greece separated from Macedonia, then both picked apart. It had worked, too, up to a point. An army 20,000 strong, led by Klaus himself, struck in a northern arch, while his son, Klaus II, struck an underhand blow with a much smaller force of 12,000. Just southwest of Adrininoples, nearly 25,000 Byzantine infantry, cavalry and archers were gathered- forces from Greece, from Turkey, and a few lucky survivors from Macedonia.

The battle was intended to wipe the last Byzantine field army off the map, and it was rumored that the Byzantine emperor himself was present. In the end, the Byzantine army was scattered, and the Croat standard held the field, but it was at terrible cost: Klaus, King of Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, lay dead- shot from his horse, then trampled.

Thereafter, for the next 8 years, low level warfare was the order of the day. Klaus II, narrowly selected as the heir, ruled with a fretful hand. While diplomats hemmed and hawed, minor battle raged in the ravished lands of Macedonia, while all Greece simmered from the social backlash of some 200,000 dead. It was also during this period that the fragmented nature of the middle Balkan Empire was fermented. Ramms von Santini, and Alex von Santini, both potential claimants, died under mysterious circumstances, and the Duchy of Bosnia, always a trouble spot, was quietly absorbed back into the royal holdings. All the while, Klaus II strung together a hugely complex system of Kingdoms, Duchies and Counts.

The year is 1102, and an uncertain King sits upon an uncertain throne, gazing south at Greece, while a once mighty emperor crouches in the westernmost remainder of his shattered empire. The year is 1102, and the dream of a Balkan Empire lives on.

Chp. 23:
Croatian Expansion in the Late 11th Century:
The late 11th and early 12th century marks perhaps the murkiest period in Balkan history: a rapid and violent strike against the east, coupled with violent upheaval within the Croat ruling class itself, led to an astonishingly swift redistribution of titles, and with it the inevitable “rewriting of the history book.” This period, host to innumerable threats to written documentation, is therefore perhaps best explored through the archeological record.

The strike at Byzantium, initiated the spring of 1093, is itself a bit of a mystery, as very little of Klaus’s last years were documented, or perhaps little documentation survived. From Byzantine history, however, we have a stunningly in-depth look at the Croat invasion plan.

Two armies, one 18,000 strong, in the north, commanded by Klaus himself, and one 15,000 strong, commanded by his first born son, crossed the Byzantine border, aiming to encircle and crush the Orthodox armies in the Balkans, then perhaps strike at the isolated territories left in the isolated flanks- and from what we know, the plan went perfectly – at first.

Both armies struck forward, smashing aside field armies, and leaving only a few regiments in their wake to conduct siege operations. Swinging along the Hungarian border, the northern army fought a sharp series of battles against garrison forces, until reaching the coast. At that point, while besieging a key Greek costal city, they caught the Byzantine Northern Field Army in poor order, and sent it flying. Meanwhile, the other Croat army had also conducted an advance to the coast, though in this case, to Philippopolis, where they too intercepted a Field Army, which they harried and pursued, to the very borders of Adrininoples.



It was there a miracle occurred, on that serves to shine a light on these ancient peoples: Only 4 days after the battle, there was a minor earthquake in the region, one causing a land slide that managed to bury a mass Croat, Bulgarian, Serbian, Hungarian and Byzantine mass grave under nearly ten feet of soil- and it is from this single site that a great deal of our knowledge of the period warfare is derived.

At Adrininoples, the two wings of the Croat forces met, trapping not only remnants of the Field Armies and Garrisons they had pushed before them, but also the Byzantine relief force- some 20,000 men. And so, when the 30,000 men of the Croat army “trapped” nearly 40,000 soldiers (nearly 10,000 of which were heavy Roman cavalry) against the walls of the Byzantine capital, it appeared that the end of the Balkan Empire was in sight. The archeological record, however, gives us a good look at just how the Croat forces managed to pull off a victory.

Studying the Grave of Adrininoples:
The site at Adrininoples is, in fact, only a small portion of the casualties sustained by both sides: some 112 Croat soldiers lie in graves, atop the pit grave of perhaps 600 mercenaries and Byzantine soldiers. The difference of equipment is stark:

133 Skoutatoi, 47 Toxotai and 13 Kataphraktoi form the bulk of the Byzantine casualties:
The Skoutatoi and Kataphraktoi are all equipped with a lamellar armor- but of very different qualities. The infantry gear is lightweight, with the lamellar thin, and covering only the chest- and even there, it is clear that it was insufficient to push aside a sword thrust, and in several cases it was clear that the armor had failed to deflect an arrow. The leading causes of Skoutatoi, and Toxotai death, were as follows:
Repeat sharp and/or blunt trauma: to the chest, to the left leg and arm, to the head.
Single sharp or blunt trauma: to the head or left leg.

While it was clear that several had been wounded by arrows, only those struck in the eyes tended to actually perish immediately- otherwise, they were typically finished off by more arrows, or some other weapon.
The Kataphraktoi, however, were much more likely to have perished of one of two things: large blunt trauma to the head or upper body, or a singular crushing blow to the chest- one victim of which actually retained the head of the lance that killed him.

It is clear, however, just by looking at the Byzantine weapons, that the Croat armoring methods had proven superior: low quality steel swords, known as spathion, chipped or even broken- a estimate to the protective nature of the newer Croat armors. Looking into the Croat remains, we find:
5 knights, 13 heavy infantrymen, 26 spearmen, and 68 light infantry.

All but the light infantry wear at least a degree of mail, and as we shift towards the knights, we see more and more plate atop the mail. All 5 knights were clearly killed by other cavalry- their deaths are high speed impact related- but none of the other dead seem to bear the signs of cavalry action. Perhaps the most telling sign is that nearly half died from a single pinpoint blow to the head- the merciful touch of an ancient battlefield medic.
From the evidence, it is clear that the Croat infantry engaged the Byzantine infantry, then somehow the Croatian knights managed to route the Roman cavalry, then setting flight to the rest of the enemy infantry. Through some miracle of maneuver, an outnumbered force managed to put to flight perhaps the strongest Byzantine army in a hundred years.

But it came at a terrible price.