[SV AAR] From obscurity to glory - a Serbian AAR

**Cooltosha** · June 15, 2009, 02:25 PM

This will be an AAR about Serbia in Middle Ages. A fictionalized history. If anyone feels offended in any way, I apologize.

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Rules:

Mod: Chivalry II - Sicilian Vespers 3.3.
Faction: Serbia
Era: Late, starting date 1300's
Difficulty: H/H
Additional rules: No bug exploitation, no money cheats, no toggle_fow cheat, no reload, if I lose, I lose

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Prologue - What is Serbia?

Ras - Skoplje, 1300's.

In the newly constructed Citadel of Ras, King of Serbia Stefan Dečanski was having a meeting with his Royal Council of Velmože.

King Stefan: So, Dimitrije, what is new in my Kingdom since I came back?
Dimitrije: Nothing new my lord, except for the fact that the Bulgars seem to be on the move towards Niš. Byzantines are still recovering after that westerner Catalan Company devastated entire Thrace. Even Carigrad almost fell, my lord.
King Stefan: I know that, I was there, blinded, but I still could hear the news! What of the recent Hungarian incursions?
Dimitrije: We have negotiated their withdraw, but I suggest that we capture the fort of Zemun and Beograd to the north, so that we may effectively control Sava crossing near Beograd.
King Stefan: No, I shalt not risk a war.
Dimitrije and other velmože rose in anger, crying: King! How can we allow Hungarian unruly hordes to ravage our land? Remeber that they supported your father when he blinded you and sent you to that foul Greek Emperor? To his filthy city?
King Stefan: His "filthy city" is the greatest city in the world, and either me or my son shall take it, but in due time. Now, remember that I am your King and that my word shall be obeyed. Is that understood? No move of armies until I deem that we are ready!

Dimitrije left the chamber room, and thinking that it is maybe time to seek a new master and a new King for Serbia, rode quickly to Skoplje.

There he met Stefan Dušan, who kept Skoplje and was King's son. By a Serbian "tradition" of son rebelling against his father, he thought that he might persuade young, smart, but reckless Dušan to rebel against his father. Only, this time.............rebellion would make Serbia strong instead of weakening it further, as previous ones did.

Dimitrije rushed into the young Prince's room, interrupting him in bed with a peasant girl. He spoke quickly of what happened at the council of velmože, saying that only he, Dušan can save Serbia now, since it is beset by enemies or distrustful neighbors on all sides.
Dušan rose and spoke: So, my father only wants to sit on his throne, leaving Serbia to the enemy? His eyesight may have returned by a saintly intervention but his mind is.........old.
Dimitrije: Yes, my Prince. And it seems that all the areas his father took from Dragutin and Hungarians may be retook by the Hungarians now, since Dragutin's son is no more, King Milutin is an old man, and he gave the power to his son.
Dušan: And to a good son he gave that power! My father has been too much taught by the Byzantines. His new wife is a Greek "princess". She is supposed to be my mother! Hah! It is time for our country, for our Serbia, to turn to Europe, to Italy, to Germany, and not to run in front of Byzantines or those Bulgars, but face them, and conquer them!
Dimitrije: Yes Prince. Your father told us of his intention to conquer Carigrad. But I am afraid that are only empty words to calm us, velmože.
Dušan: No more calm is needed. This is the time to act, for Serbia, not only for us!

Together they gathered troops in Skoplje, and Dušan ordered Dimitrije to go to Ras and recruit new and fresh troops without his father knowing. He decided to make Drač a first example of New Serbia, and it's new way. But he decided to leave his recklessness behind. He told his sister Irina to go to Solun and to negotiate a trade rights treaty with Byzantines and later with Bulgars at Trnovo. He will lull his potential enemies with trade and kind words, while in fact he shall prove to them that the arts of war and diplomacy are no longer a Greek secret, unknown to Serbs.

Dimitrije was preparing to take fort of Skadar, while training new Vlastelinčići forces, both mounted and dismounted and readying them for attack upon Drač.

This was an hour to rise, to make everyone understand what is Serbia.

**Biggles** · June 16, 2009, 07:12 AM

Sounds cool an unusual. I'll be watching you

**charles the hammer** · June 16, 2009, 12:18 PM

good to see a sv mod aar cant wait for an update

**il padrino** · June 16, 2009, 12:51 PM

subscribed

**Cooltosha** · June 16, 2009, 01:15 PM

Thank you people! PROLOGUE IS UP!

I do not intend this AAR to be some nationalist thing, so foreigners are welcome, for I shall mix history with fantasy, trying to teach everyone some new thing about our beautiful country and its abilities.

NEW UPDATE EITHER TOMORROW OR ON THURSDAY. STAY TUNED!

**Babur** · June 16, 2009, 04:41 PM

great AAR

I repped you

**Cooltosha** · June 19, 2009, 08:05 AM

Chapter I - First strike, first step

Siege of Drač, summer of 1312.

Dušan: Well, Dimitrije, you raised a considerable army, and we may quickly complete this siege, one way or another. But do tell me, have you been able to obtain any new armor for our forces?
Dimitrije: My Prince, only some plate armor for velmože from Venice, and also they came here mostly on their own, because Council demands that you take Drač.

They support you and would support you should you decide to rise against your father.

Dušan: So, I have army, I have support, maybe I should rise up. But not yet. Now I am troubled by the news that come to my ears from southern Greece and from Europe and also from my Kingdom.

We are in deep financial problems and we are in debt, mostly to our new allies the Bulgars. Also, my sister has obtained a deal that I will marry Emperors Mihail's daugther Irina. Bulgars have agreed to offer us any assistance in our upcoming war with Byzantines.

But the news of Catalans taking Athens does interfere with my plans. I wanted Athens as it enables us to take Aegean by storm. Sicilian presence in Athens will slow us down. However, they might prove helpful against Byzantines in Solun.

Templars. They have been banned, burned at stake. Roman Catholic Church kills its most loyal servants and burns them under false accusations. It reminds me how Emperor Manuel wanted my forefather Nemanja, to burn because of his alleged support to the Bogomil heresy. Wealth and greed. That is what drives all Churches. But now our own! Not us! We shall make our Empire an honest and honorable one. That I swear! Order the attack upon Drač, now!

Men, you are all brave Serbs, the best blood of our people. We are here not to mercilessly pillage, burn and conquer. We come here as liberators! The army, if you may call a bunch of brainwashed peasants an army, that skulks behind walls is an army of Lord Komanos, a tyrant of Albania. A Greek that tortures Serbs, Albanians, Greeks and Italians alike. Should we, honorable Serbs to a man, allow him to do that further? NO! We shall march, kill him, rout his army and take his stolen treasures and we shall liberate Drač, so that it may be a city all Serbia will be proud of!

Battle was long and hard. Serbian soldiers initially broke through peasant forces on the walls easily and broke the gates, enabling Serbian heavy cavalry to enter the city. However, Komanos had few tricks up his sleave. His loyalist Albanian cavalry almost routed Vlastelinčići archers and were successful in routing Vojnici spearmen unit. But then Dušan himself entered the city, routing Albanian cavalry and with his knights reaching town center. There Komanos waited in fear, with his Spatharioi and Stratiotai at disposal. But they were of no avail to him. His soldiers were hacked around him one by one, until only he and couple of Stratiotai remained. He fanatically charged Dušan himself, but a swift reaction of Serbian Prince ended Albanian Tyrant's life.

Dušan yelled with his mighty voice: We have victory!!!! For Serbia!!!!

And victory it was.

Meanwhile Irina, Dušan's beautiful sister, achieved an alliance with Hungary, securing Serbia's back and enabling to undisturbed expand into south and east. Zemun was, unfortunately, ceded to the Hungarians.

And thus, in 1314, after the battle of Drač, Serbian Kingdom looked like this:

Serbia was steady on its way to glory, it was it's destiny to rule the Balkans.

**Biggles** · June 19, 2009, 12:34 PM

Very good, I like it alot!

**Musthavename** · July 03, 2009, 06:17 AM

I've deleted some of the posts in this thread. I'd like to ask people to please keep all discussion on the AAR itself. If any bickering persists, please don't hesitate to PM me so we can clean this up.

Nice to see an SV AAR about, especially as a faction that doesn't really appear in many others. Hope to see this continue once the OP feels better

.

Edit: Realised I deleted a message that may be of interest to readers. I'll repost it:

I am sorry I haven't posted an update, but I am sick with a cold or some stomach flu, since my stomach is hurting me like Hell. I promise an update by the end of the week.

**Cooltosha** · July 09, 2009, 12:27 PM

Chapter II - An Adriatic War, part 1

Note: I have reinstalled M2TW, and even though I saved my pictures and screenshots, they have disappeared. Therefore, this update will be text only. I apologize.

City of Drač, summer of 1315.

Messenger: My liege! My liege! Urgent news from Skadar!
Dušan: Calm down man! Calm down! Take a breath! Now, what is it?
Messenger: Venetians! Italians! They have landed near Dubrovnik, and declared the war on the Dubrovnik Republic. They have their civil knights with them! Men at arms! In finest armor!
Dušan: Those are important news. Very well, go now and rest, tomorrow morning I expect you to be on the way to bring these news to my father, and with my message.
Dimitrije: What might that message be, Highness?
Dušan: I am offering him an end to this quarrel between the two of us. If the Republic of Dubrovnik falls to Venetians, they will have an excellent base from which to attack us, an opportunity which our enemies would not miss, for example, Greeks.
Dimitrije: You see things even before they unfold, Highness. Your foresight is a sign of a great wisdom. What are my duties then?
Dušan: Retrain our troops, rearm them, as same my father will do, and also, train some militia to protect the city and maintain order, when we are on the march to Ras.

Citadel of Ras, three weeks later.

King Stefan: Venetians on our doorstep and my son now asks for pardon and peace amongst us? Now?!
Messenger: That is what he said, my King. Forgive me, my King.
King Stefan: I should have raised him better! Well, maybe it is time for me to take part in this plan of his. I shall develop infrastructure. You go back to him and tell him that I accept his offer of ending this grudge, for now. I need one more messenger. Courtiers! Call upon the swiftest rider of our Vlastela.
Steward: Yes, my King. What shall I tell him?
King Stefan: Tell him to ride to princess Irina in southern Austria, in Graz, and to reach her before she reaches Wien. His message is for her to arrange alliance with the Reich anyway possible. If need be for her to marry the Reich's heir, so be it, dowry shalt be sent after her. We need Reich as our allies against possible threat by the Venetians! Messenger!
Messenger: Yes, my King?
King Stefan: Go to Drač, to my son. Tell him of this possible alliance and tell him to wait and see how things will develop.

So it was, but in early February 1317, after being defeated by the Republic of Dubrovnik's army, marched and conquered almost entire Republic's territory except for the fortress of Dubrovnik itself. The fortress was impenetrable. Therefore, Venetians move against Serbia, laying siege to the fort of Skadar, which held a small garrison of 100 Serbian Knights. Yet, Dušan was ready. He attacked the Venetians and drove them away, killing 75% of their civil knights. Remainder of Venetian forces fled to Byzantine held Thessalonica.

Dimitrije: News are correct my Prince, Greeks have allowed Venetians to recuperate and rearm at their territories.
Dušan: We are not strong to attack all of them, since there are two Greek armies nearby, that might come to the aid of Venetians. Move back to Drač, and wait for Venetians to come to us.
Dimitrije: As you command.

Thus, the Serbian army moved back to Drač, while Skadar garrison went to Ras to rearm and retrain. King Stefan ordered two newly recruited units of Dismounted Vlastela to go to Skadar, so that the fort should remain protected. Meanwhile, Byzantine armies near Drač and Skoplje went to Bulgaria, and there was a possible prospect of war between Bulgaria and Byzantine Empire. Also, Venetian army entered Serbian territory again, just to be crushed in the mountain gorges east of Drač. Serbian army then moved to Ras, to be retrained and it was ordered on the joined meeting between the Prince, the King, and the Velmože Council that the Knights of Skadar garrison will be joined with the Prince Dušan's army. That army was preparing to march on Dubrovnik, to deal with both the Republic and the remaining Venetian troops. Finally, princess Irina married the heir to the throne of the Reich, Princeps Johann in March 1319.

Situation looked good for Serbia and Serbia held the upper hand in the Adriatic war so far. Things were promising, when the summer of 1319 came.

Once again, I am sorry there are no pictures in this update. Next update after weekend, Monday most likely. Thank you!

**charles the hammer** · July 09, 2009, 05:30 PM

good to see your back cant wait for the next update

**Cooltosha** · July 19, 2009, 06:39 AM

Note: So, my brilliant computer crashed and destroyed my save files for M2TW, including this one for the AAR.

I will have to restart AAR, and I will notify you all, when I do.

Sorry guys!

I ask the moderator to lock and delete this thread, as I will be starting a new AAR ASAP.

Thanks!